The present participle of cathect, meaning actively directing emotional energy or psychological investment toward someone or something.
From the verb cathect, formed from cathexis in the 1920s by psychologists adopting Freud's framework. The -ing suffix creates the continuous or progressive form of the action.
When you can't stop thinking about your crush or a goal, your brain is literally 'cathecting'—concentrating all that emotional energy in one direction like a psychological spotlight.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.