psychopath

[sahy-kuh-path]

noun

1. a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

psychopath

/ ˈsaɪkəʊˌpæθ /

noun

1. Also called: sociopath. a person afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit antisocial and sometimes violent acts and a failure to feel guilt for such acts

psychopath

1. A mentally unbalanced person who is inclined toward antisocial and criminal behavior. (Compare sociopath.)

Other Word Forms

• psychopathic adjective
• psychopathically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychopath¹

First recorded in 1880–85; psycho- + -path

Example Sentences

Charlton - described by prosecutors as "a psychopath" - slapped and punched Karen and, when Ali tried to stop him, Ali said he hit him as well.

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People paying their respects at the memorial were taken aback, with one commenting that, even in Utah, “there are some psychopaths.”

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“Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends. Be careful, we’re watching you!”

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“Either I am a psychopath in sheep’s clothing, or I am you.”

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In a court filing last month, the former sheriff disputed an assessment by a county-hired expert psychiatrist that described him as having “many attributes of a ‘white-collar psychopath.’

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Related Words

• lunatic 
• maniac 
• psycho 
• sociopath