psych

1 of 3

verb

ˈsīk 

variants or less commonly psyche

psyched; psyching

transitive verb

1

: psychoanalyze

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 decided

—David Hulburd

3

a

: to make psychologically uneasy : intimidate, scare

pressure doesn't psych me

—Jerry 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

psychology

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

Synonyms

Verb

• brace
• fortify
• ready
• nerve

Examples of psych in a Sentence

Verb

He was trying to psych himself before the race.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Arsenal and England striker Alessia Russo’s shin pads (Molly Darlington – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) For players, shin pads can serve not just as protection but as positive homages to help psych themselves up before a game. —Caoimhe O'Neill, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025

Don’t psych yourself out during the Capricorn moon. —USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing psych

• psych-out

Rhymes for psych

• bike
• dike
• hike
• ike
• like
• mike
• pyke
• shrike
• spike
• strike
• tike
• alike

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

psychology