psych

1 of 3

verb

variants or less commonly psyche
psyched; psyching

transitive verb

1
2
a
: to anticipate correctly the intentions or actions of : outguess
b
: to analyze or figure out (something, such as a problem or course of action)
I psyched it all out by myself and decidedDavid Hulburd
3
a
: to make psychologically uneasy : intimidate, scare
pressure doesn't psych meJerry Quarry
often used with out
has a way of psyching out the competition
b
: to make (someone, such as oneself) psychologically ready especially for performance
often used with up
psyched herself up for the race

psych

2 of 3

abbreviation

psych-

3 of 3

combining form

variants or psycho-
1
: mind : mental processes and activities
psychodynamic
psychology
2
: psychological methods
psychoanalysis
psychotherapy
3
: brain
psychosurgery
4
: mental and
psychosomatic

Examples of psych in a Sentence

Verb He was trying to psych himself before the race.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
The moment before rehearsal is where all of the unknowns exist and the feat of the climb can psych you out. Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2024 One of the more laugh-out-loud funny scenes of the series is this moment where Maya’s character is in a bathroom just before an interrogation and makes the most absurd face in the mirror to psych herself up. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2024 Another April Fools' Day, another batch of stars opting to psych out fans with fake pregnancy announcements. Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2023 Beau Brieske refuses to psych himself out. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2022 See all Example Sentences for psych 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

by shortening

Combining form

Greek, from psychē breath, principle of life, life, soul, from psychein to breathe; akin to Sanskrit babhasti he blows

First Known Use

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of psych was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near psych

Cite this Entry

“Psych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psych. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

psych

verb
variants or psyche
ˈsīk
psyched; psyching
1
: to make oneself psychologically ready
usually used with up
psyched themselves up for the race
2
: to make uneasy
often used with out
psych out an opponent

Medical Definition

psych

abbreviation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!