psych

play

verb \ˈsīk\

variants: or less commonly

psyche

Definition of psych

psyched

;

psyching

transitive verb
1 : psychoanalyze
2a : to anticipate correctly the intentions or actions of : outguessb : 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
3a : to make psychologically uneasy : intimidate, scare pressure doesn't psych me — Jerry Quarry —often used with out has a way of psyching out the competitionb : to make (someone, such as oneself) psychologically ready especially for performance —often used with up psyched herself up for the race

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Examples of psych in a Sentence

He was trying to psych himself before the race.

Recent Examples of psych from the Web

But screenwriters Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley didn't have the luxury of psyching themselves out.

— aaron couch, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Writers Had Just 3 Days to Win Over Marvel," 7 July 2017
Such a shellacking would have gotten Safeco psyched up no matter what the circumstance.

— matt calkins, The Seattle Times, "Matt Calkins: What matters more than Felix’s stats is the fact he is back on the mound," 23 June 2017
He's also lined up some fine Chicago DJs to open, and among them, Gossip Wolf is particularly psyched to see Jana Rush.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Rapper Chris Crack breaks a yearlong silence with a single 36-minute track," 20 June 2017
There is always an appetite for nostalgia, so of course we're psyched about the possibility of seeing 52-year-old Shields effortlessly slay a campaign once again for Calvin Klein.

— jihan forbes, Allure, "Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein Reportedly Teaming Up Again," 20 June 2017
Real Madrid: Domestic fans and players already were psyched this year’s MLS All-Star game will be against Spanish giant Real Madrid on Aug. 2 in Chicago.

— alicia delgallo, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Toronto FC's rise is among five Major League Soccer storylines to watch," 7 June 2017
The New Zealand Herald’s Grant Bradley reports that government officials and kiwis are psyched about the potential of a space industry in their country.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "New Zealand Sent a 3D-Printed Rocket to Space," 26 May 2017
Senate Democrats are not exactly psyched about the prospect of Joe Lieberman for FBI Director, POLITICO reports.

— NBC News, "First Read’s Morning Clips: Was Pence Kept in the Dark?," 19 May 2017
Clearly, he's psyched about his new role in the family.

— elyse roth, Redbook, "This Heartwarming Video of a Toddler Meeting His Baby Brother Will Make Your Day," 19 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'psych.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.