psychedelic

Sometimes psy·cho·del·ic

[sahy-ki-del-ik]

adjective

1. of or noting a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations and by extreme feelings of either euphoria or despair.

   LSD users seek the psychedelic properties of the drug, including heightened sensory experiences.

2. of, relating to, or noting any of various drugs producing this state, such as LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin.

   Researchers have long been interested in the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs for humans.

3. characterized by images, sounds, or feelings resembling those experienced while in the altered state produced by psychedelic drugs: The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

   Their music had a dreamy psychedelic sound, with gentle guitars and hushed vocals.

   The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

noun

1. a psychedelic drug.

   The clinic will start treating patients with ketamine, a psychedelic.

2. Rare.,  a person who uses such a substance.

psychedelic

/ ˌsaɪkɪˈdɛlɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or denoting new or altered perceptions or sensory experiences, as through the use of hallucinogenic drugs

2. denoting any of the drugs, esp LSD, that produce these effects

3. informal,  (of painting, fabric design, etc) having the vivid colours and complex patterns popularly associated with the visual effects of psychedelic states

psychedelic

1. A descriptive term for things that produce or are related to hallucinations, especially drugs such as LSD.

Psychedelic art, most popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s, combines patterns, objects, light, and sound to simulate hallucinatory experiences.

Other Word Forms

• psychedelically adverb
• prepsychedelic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

First recorded in 1956; from psyche + Greek dêl(os) “visible, manifest, evident” + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

C20: from _psyche + Greek delos visible

Example Sentences

A 25-foot inflatable psychedelic bear driving a convertible has been commissioned for the pedestal outside of the Hammer Museum as part of Made in L.A.

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“Everyone will have their opinions and critiques,” Shilling said of her psychedelic creation just before the piece was inflated for a test run prior to Saturday’s opening night party.

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Her last album, 2023’s divisive but underrated “Strays,” leaned all the way into psychedelic rock, a cosmic exploration of life without the hazy veneer of alcohol.

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As awareness grows around the dangers of head trauma in sports, a small number of professional fighters and football players are turning to a psychedelic called ibogaine for treatment.

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The event will feature exclusive conversations with key guests — including a panel on psychedelic films with Salon staff culture critics — and a plethora of live music sets.

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Related Words

• hallucinatory 
• kaleidoscopic 
• multicolored