psych
/saɪk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.48 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
Clipping of psychoanalyse (“to treat (someone) using psychoanalysis”); also, to carry out psychological testing on (someone).
Informal; Transitive verb
verb
Chiefly followed by out: to analyse (something), especially psychologically; also (generally), to work out (something).
Informal; Transitive verb
verb
Often followed by out: to deceive, intimidate, or otherwise manipulate (someone or oneself) emotionally or using psychology.
Informal; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "He had to be involuntarily committed to the psych ward."
- "A fool who had never seen reality would think an old lady is harmless or weak. Perhaps the morons in the outside world believe an old lady locked-up in psych is akin to a sweet little grandmother, a poor old dear who is just a little confused. Such a fool does not understand the truth of some psychiatric "patients" or the reality of how that type of "patient" can de-compensate suddenly, oftentimes with no warning, and go berserk on another "patient" or on a BHT with super-human like strength so much like a person in the old movies who is hopped up on PCP."
- ""I couldn't stay in the psych. I had to get out, before Rudolf got to me. He is alive; he set me up," I tell him, looking around, and trying to figure out why I'm not in prison or at the police station."
- "I still stood by my assessment that she should've checked into psych. Body dysmorphia was one thing but actually believing Barbie was a real person walking among us? That was a little too much."
- "I took psych in my freshman year at college."
- "[S]he had had what she declared was a momentous series of meetings with [Sigmund] Freud in Vienna. She had attended a conference of psychs at which he had presided and they had taken a fancy to each other."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /saɪk/
- British English: /saɪk/
Usage
Inflected Forms
psychs (plural)
psyche (alternative)
psychs (present, singular)
psyching (participle, present)
psyched (participle, past)
psyched (past)
sike (alternative)
syke (alternative)
psyches (plural)
more psych (comparative)
most psych (superlative)
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
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ay
caramba
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begorra
bleeding heck
bleeding Nora
bless my heart
bless my soul
bless us
blige