psyche

¹

[sahyk]

verb (used with object)

psyched, psyching 

1. a variant of psych.

Psyche

²

[sahy-kee]

noun

1. Classical Mythology.,  a personification of the soul, which in the form of a beautiful girl was loved by Eros.

2. psyche,

   1. the human soul, spirit, or mind.

   2. Psychology, Psychoanalysis.,  the mental or psychological structure of a person, especially as a motive force.

3. Philosophy.,  (inNeoplatonism ) the second emanation of the One, regarded as a universal consciousness and as the animating principle of the world.

4. a female given name.

Psyche

¹

/ ˈsaɪkɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth a beautiful girl loved by Eros (Cupid), who became the personification of the soul

psyche

²

/ ˈsaɪkɪ /

noun

1. the human mind or soul

Psyche

¹

1. In Roman mythology, a beautiful girl who was visited each night in the dark by Cupid, who told her she must not try to see him. When she did try, while he was asleep, she accidentally dropped oil from her lamp on him, and he awoke and fled. After she had performed many harsh tasks set by Cupid's mother, Venus, Jupiter made her immortal, and she and Cupid were married. Her name is Greek for both “soul” and “butterfly.”

psyche

²

1. The mind, soul, or spirit, as opposed to the body. In psychology, the psyche is the center of thought, feeling, and motivation, consciously and unconsciously directing the body's reactions to its social and physical environment.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Psyche¹

First recorded in 1650–60 Psyche for def. 2a; from Latin psȳchē, from Greek psȳchḗ literally, “breath,” derivative of psȳ́chein “to breathe, blow,” hence, “live” ( psycho- )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Psyche¹

C17: from Latin, from Greek psukhē breath, soul; related to Greek psukhein to breathe

Example Sentences

What has a steady diet of crime-based reality television done to our national psyche?

From Los Angeles Times

Even more concerning, when the nihilism of the darkest corners of the internet catches up to their psyches, “young people weaponize those grievances,” Newsom said — whether that anger turns inward or outward.

From Los Angeles Times

Redford’s most memorable roles were arguably those that exploited the juxtaposition of the actor’s chiseled, class-president good looks and his ability to conjure up a scarred and hostile psyche.

From Los Angeles Times

"The war has changed our psyches and personalities. We will need a long period of healing to return to who we were before 7 October 2023."

From BBC

But an enlightening conversation with his father, who died in 2022, made it “make sense for my psyche.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ego 
• mind 
• soul 
• spirit 
• subconscious