psychotic

[sahy-kot-ik]

adjective

1. Psychiatry.,  relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting psychosis: psychotic symptoms;

   a psychotic patient;

   psychotic symptoms;

   psychotic delusion.

   Synonyms: non compos mentis, demented, deranged, disturbed, mad, mentally ill, psychopathic, insane
   Antonyms: lucid, rational, compos mentis, sane

2. (loosely) mentally unstable.

   The man who threw a stone through the convenience store window must be psychotic.

   Synonyms: potty, screwy, batty, daft, cuckoo, kooky, bonkers, nuts, nutty, crazy, loony

3. intensely upset, anxious, or angry; crazy.

   My dad gets so psychotic when I come home even a little bit late.

   Synonyms: pissed off, livid, incensed, irate, wrathful, furious, crazed
   Antonyms: self-possessed, calm

noun

1. Psychiatry.,  a person afflicted with psychosis.

   Synonyms: maniac, madman, psychopath

2. (loosely) someone who is mentally unstable.

   Her partner is a psychotic who often uses abusive language.

   Synonyms: kook, nutjob, nut, loon, loony

1. someone who exhibits extreme emotion or behavior.

   My brother turns into a complete psychotic whenever his team loses.

   Synonyms: psycho, maniac

psychotic

/ saɪˈkɒtɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by psychosis

noun

1. a person experiencing psychosis

Usage

It is preferable to talk about a person experiencing psychosis rather than a psychotic , which reduces a person's individuality

Other Word Forms

• psychotically adverb
• nonpsychotic adjective
• semipsychotic adjective
• unpsychotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychotic¹

First recorded in 1885–85; psych(osis) + -otic

Example Sentences

In its story about Han's comments, Rolling Stone said the abuse had been "incredibly unhinged", with fan battles becoming "more intense, insane, and borderline psychotic with each weekly episode release".

From BBC

“We’ve accepted it; that is so psychotic … Can you imagine buying a book, and on the book is how many people have read it?”

From Los Angeles Times

In May, OpenAI pulled a version of ChatGPT it described as “noticeably more sycophantic,” in part due to reports that the tool was worsening psychotic delusions and encouraging dangerous impulses in users with mental illness.

From Los Angeles Times

“That workout was psychotic,” Verse said this week.

From Los Angeles Times

Naveed, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was "psychotic", and her mental health had "deteriorated" in the days before the attack, the court heard.

From BBC

Related Words

• demented 
• insane 
• mad 
• unhinged