Psych Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms psych- 1 American

1. variant of psycho- before some vowels.

   psychasthenia.

psych 2 American [sahyk] / saɪk /

noun

1. psychedelic music.

adjective

1. psychedelic.

   stunning psych colors and patterns.

psych 3 American [sahyk] / saɪk /

noun

Informal.

1. psychology, especially as a course or field of study.

   She took two semesters of psych in college.

psych 4 American [sahyk] / saɪk / Or psyche

verb (used with object)

psyched, psyching

1. to make happily excited or full of eager anticipation.

   Your stories about Edinburgh have psyched me more than ever for my trip there next year!

2. to prepare mentally and emotionally so as to be in the right frame of mind to do one's best (often followed byup ).

   He sat with his eyes closed in the aircraft, psyching himself for his first parachute jump.

3. to intimidate, make nervous, mislead, etc., in order to gain an advantage.

   A good chess player knows how to psych the opponent.

interjection

1. Sometimes (used after deliberately misleading someone, to let them know they’ve been fooled).

   I’ve decided to put the house up for sale, and the agent is coming by in an hour . . . Psych!

verb phrase

1. psych out. psych-out.

2. psych up

   1. to prepare mentally and emotionally for a challenge.

      I have to psych myself up for the annual family reunion.

   2. to create excitement and eager anticipation in.

      Beach parties, road trips, stargazing, barbecues—here are 10 tunes to psych you up for summer!

psych. 5 American

abbreviation

1. psychological.

2. psychologist.

3. psychology.

psych British / saɪk /

verb

1. informal (tr) to psychoanalyse See also psych out psych up

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does psych- mean? Psych- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning either “psyche” or "psychological." Psyche denotes "the human soul, spirit, or mind," while psychological is a related yet distinct term that means "pertaining to psychology, the science of the mind or of mental states." Psych- is often used in medical and technical terms, especially in psychology.Psych- comes from Greek psȳchḗ, meaning “breath, spirit, soul, mind.” For more on the meaning of this word in Ancient Greek mythology, read our entry for psyche. The word psyche is at the root of the term psychedelic, which refers to the effect of hallucinogenic drugs.What are variants of psych-?Psych- is a variant of psycho-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about psycho-.

Etymology

Origin of psych1

First recorded in 1985–90

Origin of psych1

First recorded in 1890–95; by shortening

Origin of psych1

First recorded in 1915–20 in earlier sense “to subject to psychoanalysis”; originally a shortening of psychoanalyze; in later use (especially in psych 1 defs. 2, 3 ), perhaps as independent use of psych-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I'll psych her out a little bit - she won't admit it but I can see her coming apart at the seams already..."

From BBC

“You’ve got to kind of, not psych yourself up,” she says, “but you’ve got to fake it till you make it.”

From Los Angeles Times

They are often taught to Psych 101 students as both a fascinating discovery about visual processing and a cautionary tale about unwarranted assumptions of universality.

From Slate

I’ve visited him in facilities up and down the state: In detention centers; maximum security units; psych wards; private correctional institutions; facilities with barbed wire fences, search dogs and rooftops decorated with armed guards; places in towns so small the only store for miles is a Piggly Wiggly.

From Salon

“Psych,” “In Plain Sight,” “Monk” and “Suits” — whose recent success after being recycled onto Netflix would seem to be a factor in this turnaround — were among the series born in that period.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abet
• agitate
• arouse
• encourage
• exhort
• foment
• inflame
• inspire
• instigate
• motivate
• prompt
• provoke
• rouse
• set off
• spur
• trigger
• urge
• whip up

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.