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

Synonyms

• bug
• crackbrain
• crazy
• fool
• fruitcake
• head case
• loon
• loony
• lunatic
• maniac
• nut
• nutcase
• nutter [British slang]
• psycho
• sickie
• sicko
• wacko
• whacko

Examples of psychopath in a Sentence

declared that he was a dangerous psychopath

Recent Examples on the Web

Theories ranged from familial disputes and lone psychopaths to international espionage and money laundering involving Mossad and Saddam Hussein. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 May 2025

The basics remain the same: Four players take control of survivors attempting to escape a dingy hellhole, while a fifth takes the role of a roaming psychopath trying to kill them. —Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025

In the official trailer for the new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, there’s more talk about serial killers, sadistic psychopaths, and Elias Voit — the notorious Sicarius Killer played by the enthusiastic Zach Gilford. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025

The subsequent two hours unfold in the broadest of brush strokes as the heroic Anakin devolves into a yellow-eyed, child-slaughtering psychopath in a preposterously short amount of time. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Apr. 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