catfish

A fish, usually living in rivers or lakes, with long thin parts around its mouth like a cat’s whiskers.

• We caught a catfish in the river.
• Catfish often feed near the bottom.
• The restaurant serves fried catfish with rice.

Similar words: catlet, sheat, sheatfish

Common phrases: fried catfish, catch catfish, catfish pond

Someone who uses a false identity online to trick other people.

• Her online boyfriend was a catfish.
• The catfish used someone else’s photographs.
• How can you spot a catfish on a dating app?

Similar words: online impostor

Common phrases: a catfish, spot a catfish, dating a catfish

A false online profile used to trick other people.

• That profile is a catfish.
• They deleted the catfish from the dating site.
• The stolen photographs appeared on several catfish accounts.

Similar words: fake profile

Common phrases: a catfish, create a catfish, delete a catfish

To trick someone online by pretending to be a different person.

• Someone tried to catfish me.
• She was catfished on a dating app.
• He catfishes strangers by pretending to be a famous actor.

How to use it: catfish someone (He catfished several people using a stolen photograph.)

Common phrases: catfish someone, catfish people, catfish on something

To try to catch the river or lake fish that have whisker-like parts around their mouths.

• We catfish in the river.
• They spent the evening catfishing from a boat.
• Do you usually catfish at night?

Common phrases: catfish at night, catfish in something, catfish from something