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
Verb
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 But mainly, the training video serves as another opportunity for Reigns—who has held onto the Universal Champion title for the longest time out of any wrestler in WWE history—to psych himself up and talk some more smack about his opponent ahead of the big fight. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 23 Mar. 2022 Great poker scenes, in their slyly civilized cards-close-to-the-vest way, formalize the desire to destroy your opponent, but they’re also layered with a drive to psych him out that most combat scenes don’t have. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021 Some made the sign of the cross on their chest, or slapped their thighs to psych themselves up. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 16 Feb. 2023 Colorado State fans in the student section appeared to be trying to psych out Shulga, a third-year guard from Ukraine, by shouting the name of the country that invaded his homeland last year. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2023 There’s no need to put any extra pressure on yourself or psych yourself out. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psych.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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
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