psych

English

Alternative forms

• psyche

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪk

Etymology

Abbreviations.

Noun

psych (plural psychs)

1. Psychology or psychiatry.

   a psych class

2. A psychologist; a psychiatrist.
   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 476:

     She had attended a conference of psychs at which he had presided and they had taken a fancy to each other.

Verb

psych (third-person singular simple present psychs, present participle psyching, simple past and past participle psyched)

1. (transitive) To put (someone) into a required psychological frame of mind (also psych up).
2. (transitive) To intimidate (someone) emotionally or using psychology (also psych out).
3. (transitive, informal) To treat (someone) using psychoanalysis.

Derived terms

• psych out
• psych up

Interjection

psych

1. (slang) Indicating that one's preceding statement was false and that one has successfully fooled one's interlocutor. Also sike.

Related terms

• psych-
• psycho-
• psyche