# psychotic

/ˌsaɪˈkɑtɪk/ (US) · /saɪkˈɒtɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/psychotic
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. medical condition

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

suffering from a mental illness that makes it hard to tell what is real and what is not.

For teachers: 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.

- The patient was in a psychotic state and believed he was a famous king.
- Clinical observation revealed that the subject was experiencing a psychotic episode characterized by auditory hallucinations and fragmented thought patterns.

Usage: Often used with the noun 'episode' or 'break'.

### 2. erratic or strange

adjective · CEFR C2 · Informal

behaving in a very strange, wild, or dangerous way.

For teachers: exhibiting erratic, irrational, or bizarre behaviour that appears out of control.

- The driver was acting totally psychotic, weaving in and out of traffic.
- Her ex-boyfriend started sending psychotic messages at three in the morning, demanding to know where she was.

Teaching tip: This sense is common in casual speech but can be seen as insensitive to those with actual mental health conditions.

### 3. a person with psychosis

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a person who is suffering from a serious mental illness called psychosis.

For teachers: a person affected by psychosis. This usage is increasingly avoided in clinical settings in favour of person-first language.

- The doctor explained how to provide care for a psychotic in a crisis.
- Early twentieth-century texts often referred to the patient as a psychotic rather than a person suffering from a specific disorder.

Teaching tip: Modern medical professionals prefer 'person with psychosis' over using the adjective as a noun.

## Examples

- The patient was in a psychotic state when he arrived.
- Doctors monitored the patient closely to determine if his erratic behavior was a psychotic episode or drug-induced.
- The film explores the protagonist's descent into a psychotic break, blurring the lines between his vivid hallucinations and the increasingly grim reality of his surroundings.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.