psychotic
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.suffering from a mental illness that makes it hard to tell what is real and what is not.
adj.relating to or suffering from psychosis, a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
Simple“The patient was in a psychotic state and believed he was a famous king.”
In context“Clinical observation revealed that the subject was experiencing a psychotic episode characterized by auditory hallucinations and fragmented thought patterns.”
UsageOften used with the noun 'episode' or 'break'.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.behaving in a very strange, wild, or dangerous way.
adj.exhibiting erratic, irrational, or bizarre behaviour that appears out of control.
Simple“The driver was acting totally psychotic, weaving in and out of traffic.”
In context“Her ex-boyfriend started sending psychotic messages at three in the morning, demanding to know where she was.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is common in casual speech but can be seen as insensitive to those with actual mental health conditions.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who is suffering from a serious mental illness called psychosis.
n.a person affected by psychosis. This usage is increasingly avoided in clinical settings in favour of person-first language.
Simple“The doctor explained how to provide care for a psychotic in a crisis.”
In context“Early twentieth-century texts often referred to the patient as a psychotic rather than a person suffering from a specific disorder.”
Teacher's tipModern medical professionals prefer 'person with psychosis' over using the adjective as a noun.
Derived in English from psychosis + -tic; compare French psychotique, German psychotisch. Attested from the late 19th century. Compare earlier neurotic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.