Word
psycho
Phoneticspsy·cho
US/ˈsaɪkoʊ/
UK/sˈaɪkəʊ/
Definitions
01a dangerous or unstable person
n. a person who acts in a very strange, violent, or scary way.
n. a person perceived as being mentally unstable, aggressive, or dangerously unpredictable.
“Stay away from him; he acts like a total psycho when he gets angry.”
“The tabloid media was quick to label the suspect a psycho, focusing on his erratic behaviour rather than the underlying social causes of the incident.”
Informal · Slang
Teaching tip
This word is often considered offensive or insensitive because it trivialises mental health issues; use it with caution.
02crazy or scary
adj. behaving in a way that is crazy, scary, or out of control.
adj. exhibiting behaviour that is perceived as psychotic, irrational, or dangerously unstable.
“She has a psycho ex-boyfriend who keeps calling her from different numbers.”
“His psycho reaction to a minor traffic disagreement left the other drivers in the car park feeling genuinely threatened.”
Informal · Slang
03psychology class
n. a short way of saying 'psychology' when talking about a school or university subject.
n. an informal, uncountable shorthand for the academic discipline or a specific course in psychology.
“I have my psycho 101 exam tomorrow morning, so I need to study tonight.”
“Most students in the psycho department found the introductory lectures on behavioural patterns surprisingly challenging.”
Informal · American English
Usage
This sense is typically uncountable and used primarily in student contexts.
Synonyms
Etymology
Clipping of psychotic or psychopath + -o (“person with characteristic”). Compare sicko.
Clipping of psychology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The word in film
Poster: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Psycho · 1960 · Mystery
- Directed by:
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Martin Balsam
Alfred Hitchcock directed this famous horror mystery about a quiet hotel owner who hides a dark and violent personality. The title describes a dangerous person who behaves in a very scary and unpredictable way.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/psycho