psychopathic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of psychopathic
First recorded in 1840–50; psychopath(y) + -ic
Explanation
Psychopathic is a very strong word — it means mentally ill or insane and probably dangerous. Psychopathic isn't a word anyone should take lightly. It refers to an undiagnosed mental disorder. Murderers and other dangerous people are often psychopathic. If you watch a TV show that features a character who is dangerous or even deadly, he might be psychopathic. This is a medical word, unlike "crazy," which can mean dozens of things. If you know that someone is psychopathic, stay away: that person is mentally ill and could hurt you.
Vocabulary lists containing psychopathic
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: psych
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The Martian Chronicles
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
