psycho

[ sahy-koh ]

/ ˈsaɪ koʊ /

Slang.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR psycho ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural psy·chos.

a psychopathic or psychotic person.

a crazy or mentally unstable person.

adjective

psychopathic or psychotic.

crazy; mentally unstable.

Nearby words

psychic energizer, psychic energy, psychic income, psychic research, psychic trauma, psycho, psycho-, psychoacoustics, psychoactive, psychoanal., psychoanalyse

Origin of psycho

First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening

Definition for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

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

Also especially before a vowel, psych-.

Origin of psycho-

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

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

Examples from the Web for psycho

In Psycho a psychiatrist (the young Simon Oakland) tells us in clinical terms what we've seen.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When, in succession, he made Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To bolster my case I told him we should actually call it Pursuito, like Vertigo or Psycho.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From Psycho to Frankenstein, watch scenes from the director's 10 favorite creepy classics.
Wes Craven's Favorite Scary Movies|Wes Craven|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Revisit that horrid 1997 Psycho redo, or the misguided ABC miniseries version of The Shining that came out the same year.
‘Rosemary’s Baby’: How NBC Gave Birth to a New Version of Roman Polanski’s Horror Classic|Kevin Fallon|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell, don't you know any language but that psycho double-talk?
The Planet Savers|Marion Zimmer Bradley
The “Christian”—he who for two thousand years has passed as a Christian—is simply a psycho logical self-delusion.
The Antichrist|F. W. Nietzsche
It was so in keeping with his features that it served to strengthen the psycho diagnosis.
The Old Martians|Roger Phillips Graham
Psycho wouldn't do you any good if you weren't, that's the truth.
Dangerous Ages|Rose Macaulay
Maybe he was psycho and they didn't notice; they had some godawful asses for psychiatrists in war medicine.
The Brain|Alexander Blade

British Dictionary definitions for psycho (1 of 2)

psycho

/ (ˈsaɪkəʊ) /

noun, adjective plural -chos

an informal and offensive word for psychopath or psychopathicSee psychopath

British Dictionary definitions for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

sometimes before a vowel psych-

combining form

indicating the mind or psychological or mental processespsychology; psychogenesis; psychosomatic

Word Origin for psycho-

from Greek psukhē spirit, breath

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 psycho (1 of 2)

psycho

[ sī′kō ]

n.

A psychopath.

adj.

Crazy; insane.

Medicine definitions for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

pref.

Mind; mental:psychogenic.

Mental activities or processes:psychomotor.

Psychology; psychological:psychosocial.

psycho

noun, plural psy·chos.

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of psycho

Definition for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

Origin of psycho-

Examples from the Web for psycho

British Dictionary definitions for psycho (1 of 2)

psycho

noun, adjective plural -chos

British Dictionary definitions for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

sometimes before a vowel psych-

combining form

Word Origin for psycho-

Medicine definitions for psycho (1 of 2)

psycho

n.

adj.

Medicine definitions for psycho (2 of 2)

psycho-

pref.