psycho

¹

[sahy-koh]

noun

plural

psychos 

1. a psychopathic or psychotic person.

2. a crazy or mentally unstable person.

adjective

1. psychopathic or psychotic.

2. crazy; mentally unstable.

psycho-

²

1. a combining form representing psyche (psychological ) and psychological (psychoanalysis ) in compound words.

psycho-

¹

combining form

1. indicating the mind or psychological or mental processes

   psychology

   psychogenesis

   psychosomatic

psycho

²

/ ˈsaɪkəʊ /

noun

1. an informal and offensive word for psychopath or psychopathic See psychopath

Word History and Origins

Origin of psycho¹

First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening

Origin of psycho²

< Greek, combining form of psȳchḗ breath, spirit, soul, mind; akin to psȳ́chein to blow ( psykter )

Word History and Origins

Origin of psycho¹

from Greek psukhē spirit, breath

Example Sentences

Indeed, Swift has previously spoken about the media's "fixation on painting me as the psycho serial dater girl".

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Gunn’s writing humanized every single character – even Vigilante, a psycho unable to comprehend simple human cues like sarcasm, but who nearly collapses into tears when he realizes he may have failed his friend and hero.

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Pointedly and inevitably, our leads regress into Mars-Venus caricatures — he’s the jerk, she’s the psycho — as Brooks vents her frustration that gender tropes haven’t evolved.

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The film is part psycho kidnapping horror, part shark thriller and part tribute to Madonna’s “Ray of Light.”

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“Maybe there’s a part of me that’s a bit of a psycho,” she says of taking up a second project amid the pressing demands of a first.

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When To Use

What does psycho- mean?

Psycho- 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." Psycho- is often used in medical and technical terms, especially in psychology.Psycho- 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 psycho-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, psycho- becomes psych-, as in psychiatry. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on psych-.