psych

or psyche

[ sahyk ]

/ saɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR psych ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object) 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.

Nearby words

pss, psst, pst, pstn, psv, psych, psych out, psych up, psych-, psych-out, psych.

Origin of psych

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-

Definition for psych (2 of 4)

psych

[ sahyk ]

/ saɪk /

noun Informal.

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

Origin of psych

First recorded in 1890–95; by shortening

Definition for psych (3 of 4)

psych-

variant of psycho- before some vowels: psychasthenia.

Definition for psych (4 of 4)

psych.

psychological.

psychologist.

psychology.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for psych

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
The “toy” starts feeling like an experimental prop from a psych lab.
Toying with Realism|Blake Gopnik|December 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Waiting patiently in a line of at least 30 ambulances, Carrasquillo was to transport a psych patient to Mt. Sinai.
Hundreds Evacuated From NYU’s Tisch Hospital in Hurricane Sandy|Abby Haglage|October 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I felt guilty over not going to Psych, but there just wasn't the time.
Exploiter's End|James Causey
But I count myself as one of the lucky ones because throughout all of times in and out of psych.
Dreaming of Dreaming|Peter E. Williams
Would you mind if I spent an hour in Psych for reorientation?
Exploiter's End|James Causey
When I think of my wasted years in college and of how I was always going to take hold of Psych.
At Good Old Siwash|George Fitch
That was the trouble with crews of ships when they thought they might be held up by psych over something.
Unthinkable|Roger Phillips Graham

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

Medicine definitions for psych

psych-

pref.

Variant ofpsycho-