psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

ˈsī-kō-

: a mentally unstable person

especially : a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one's actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies

Examples of psychopath in a Sentence

declared that he was a dangerous psychopath

Recent Examples on the Web

Edward is there to persuade her to write one more novel about Ripley, the charming psychopath, con man and murderer who starred in five of her books. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 20 Oct. 2025

There’s some unsubtle allegory in this Taiwanese movie about a flulike virus that turns people into sadistic psychopaths. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025

The show of emotion notably implies that Ka-young is no longer a psychopath. —Kayti Burt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025

Which meant that Hunnam had a big task ahead of him: walking the tightrope of making Gein something more than just a psychopath, without landing in a place of kitsch. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for psychopath

• aftermath
• multipath
• bloodbath
• footpath
• towpath
• warpath
• hath
• lath
• math
• path
• rath
• spath

Kids Definition

psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

: a mentally ill or unstable person

especially : one who does not feel guilty about not living up to normal social and moral responsibilities and exhibits a disregard for the feelings and safety of others

Medical Definition

psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

1

: a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one's actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies

2

formerly : a person with antisocial personality disorder