Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

decathect

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: de-cathect
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To detach or withdraw one's emotional energies (libido) from (something or someone).

Example Sentences

"“He will continue manipulating Jonathan. We must get Jonathan to decathect from Michael.”"
"The writer only tried to decathect these obsolete and irrational reactions, especially by strengthening certain other—and just as typically Wolf Indian—vital and effective reactions, which counterbalanced the former, and were rooted in different aspects of Wolf ethics and mores."
"The psychiatric consultant in this situation often needs to spend as much time decathecting the anger of the treating physician as in dealing with the patient."
"Such objects emphasize the physicality, the materiality of art—qualities which, as adults acculturated into a universe of abstract codes, we learn early on to decathect."

Etymology

From de- + cathect or a back-formation from decathexis, decathectic.

Inflected Forms

decathects (present, singular) decathecting (participle, present) decathected (participle, past) decathected (past)

Questions

What does decathect mean?: To detach or withdraw one's emotional energies (libido) from (something or someone).
Where does decathect come from?: From de- + cathect or a back-formation from decathexis, decathectic.

How to pronounce decathect

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