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psych

¹

or psyche

[ sahyk ]

/ saɪk /

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See synonyms for psych on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), psyched, psych·ing.Informal.

to intimidate or frighten psychologically, or make nervous (often followed by out): to psych out the competition.

to prepare psychologically to be in the right frame of mind or to give one's best (often followed by up): to psych oneself up for an interview.

to figure out psychologically; decipher (often followed by out): to psych out a problem.

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Origin of psych

¹

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

Words nearby psych

P.SS., psst, PST, PSTN, PSV, psych, psychasthenia, psyche, psychedelia, psychedelic, Psyche knot

Other definitions for psych (2 of 4)

psych²

[ sahyk ]

/ saɪk /

noun Informal.

psychology, especially as a course or field of study: She took two semesters of psych in college.

Origin of psych

²

First recorded in 1890–95; by shortening

Other definitions for psych (3 of 4)

psych-

variant of psycho- before some vowels: psychasthenia.

Other definitions for psych (4 of 4)

psych.

abbreviation

psychological.

psychologist.

psychology.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use psych in a sentence

Partly this is because they are dogs, and thus blessedly free from the tendency to psych themselves out.
How to think like a winner (at the Westminster Dog Show)|Sarah Todd|June 14, 2021|Quartz
I tend to be very hard on myself and I psych myself out when it’s time to disclose.
The Truth About Dating With Herpes, Women Tell All|Victoria Uwumarogie|May 28, 2021|Essence.com
Over tea at the Harvard Club, professor William Moulton Marston offered her a job — not in the classroom or psych lab, but in the office of his 43rd Street art studio.
Joye Hummel, first woman hired to write Wonder Woman comics, dies at 97|Harrison Smith|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
The available second-floor space had been Hillcrest, the psych ward that a number of the homeless associated with past traumas.
Deaths Among America's Homeless Are Soaring in the Pandemic. A Photographer Captures A Community In Crisis|Paul Moakley|April 3, 2021|Time

In a Minnesota VA psych ward, a veteran shoots himself in the head.
VA Pays $200 Million for Nearly 1,000 Veterans’ Wrongful Deaths|Aaron Glantz|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Psych was a show always keenly aware of its spot in the pop culture universe.
I Watched ‘Psych’ For 8 Years and All I Got Was This Lackluster Finale|Chancellor Agard|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After close to a two-year wait, Psych: The Musical will finally air this Sunday on USA.
Psych’s 13 Best Musical Moments|Chancellor Agard|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Why couldn't they find a psych bed anywhere in southwestern Virginia for Gus Deeds?
Why Gus Deeds Wasn't Hospitalized|Michael Tomasky|November 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Every inmate admitted into the Arizona Department of Corrections is required to take a mandatory psych test.
The NRA Is Wrong: The Myth of Illegal Guns|Matthew Parker|May 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Usually crews that had to wait hours before passing through psych raised a big fuss.
Unthinkable|Roger Phillips Graham
That was the trouble with crews of ships when they thought they might be held up by psych over something.
Unthinkable|Roger Phillips Graham
The psych man was wearing his Star Watcher helmet and had a B-gun strapped at his side.
What Rough Beast?|Jefferson Highe
And if I involved myself in any conspiracy against the Lhari, they'd find it out in the routine psych-checking.
The Colors of Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
And we've learned enough individual psych to do some real indoctrinating!
The Sensitive Man|Poul William Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for psych

psych

psyche

/ (saɪk) /

verb

(tr) informal to psychoanalyseSee also psych out, psych up

Word Origin for psych

C20: shortened from psychoanalyse

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