# psych

Pronunciation: say "SYK" /saɪk/

## Verb

1. To put someone, or oneself, into the frame of mind needed for a task; also psych up. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To get yourself or someone else ready in your mind for something.
   - _Before every exam, he paces the hallway to psych himself up._
   - _A good warm-up playlist always psychs me up for a race._
2. To intimidate someone emotionally or through psychological tactics; also psych out. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To scare or upset someone by playing tricks on their mind.
   - _Some poker players try to psych out the whole table by betting wildly early on._
   - _The champion psyched her opponent out with a long, silent stare before the match._

## Noun

3. The field of psychology or psychiatry. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Psychology, the study of the mind, or psychiatry, the medical care of the mind.
   - _She majored in psych and went on to train as a counselor._
   - _She chose psych over surgery when she applied for her medical residency._
4. A psychiatric hospital, or psychiatric treatment. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A hospital for mental illness, or treatment for mental illness.
   - _She checked herself into psych after a month without sleep._
   - _The judge sent him to psych instead of jail._
5. A psychologist or a psychiatrist. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A psychologist or psychiatrist, someone who treats problems of the mind.
   - _The defense hired two psychs to testify about his state of mind._
   - _Ask the staff psych whether the patient is ready to go home._

## Adjective

6. Relating to psychiatry; psychiatric. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Having to do with mental illness and its treatment.
   - _She works nights in the psych unit at County General._
   - _The court ordered a psych evaluation before the trial._
7. Psychedelic, especially as a style of music, art, or design. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Wild and dreamlike in style, often with bright colors or strange sounds.
   - _Their second album trades the folk sound for swirling psych guitars._
   - _The poster's psych lettering is almost impossible to read._

## Interjection

8. Said right after a false statement to reveal that it was untrue and that the listener has been fooled. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Said after you tell someone something untrue, to show you tricked them.
   - _I'm giving you my car for your birthday. Psych! You get the keychain._
   - _He told his little cousin the dog could talk, then yelled "Psych!" the moment she believed him._
9. Used to express sudden, happy surprise. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Said when something good surprises you.
   - _Psych! The store had one left in my size!_
   - _When she saw the acceptance letter, she yelled "Psych!" and hugged her dad._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To treat someone using psychoanalysis.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/psych (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).