Psycho - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT psycho /ˈsaɪkoʊ/ /ˈsaɪkəʊ/ IPA guide

Other forms: psychos

Psycho is a slang term for someone who is mentally unstable or afflicted with a psychosis. Your best friend risks looking like a psycho if she keeps stalking her ex-boyfriend months after their breakup.

Psycho comes from the Greek word psykho, which means mental. Although the word has long been used as a prefix in words like psychologist, the pejorative term for a psychopath has only existed since the twentieth century. The word gained further notoriety after the 1960 release of Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, "Psycho." If you're always describing your boss as a psycho, you might want to think about looking for a new job.

Definitions of psycho

noun a person afflicted with psychosis synonyms: psychotic, psychotic person see moresee less types: cataleptic a person suffering from catalepsy paranoiac, paranoid a person afflicted with paranoia schizophrenic someone who is afflicted with schizophrenia type of: diseased person, sick person, sufferer a person suffering from an illness

Pronunciation US /ˈsaɪkoʊ/ UK /ˈsaɪkəʊ/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘psycho'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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