- the human mind or soul
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
psy•che /ˈsaɪki/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the human soul, spirit, or mind.
- Psychiatrythe mental or psychological structure of a person.
psyche
(sīk),USA pronunciation v.t. psyched, psych•ing.
Psy•che (sī′kē),USA pronunciation n.
- Informal Termspsych1.
Psy•che (sī′kē),USA pronunciation n.
- Mythology[Class. Myth.]a personification of the soul, which in the form of a beautiful girl was loved by Eros.
- (l.c.) the human soul, spirit, or mind.
- Psychiatry(l.c.) Psychoanal. the mental or psychological structure of a person, esp. as a motive force.
- Philosophy[Neoplatonism.]the second emanation of the One, regarded as a universal consciousness and as the animating principle of the world.
- a female given name.
- Greek psȳché̄ literally, breath, derivative of psý̄chein to breathe, blow, hence, live (see psycho-)
- Latin psȳchē
- 1650–60 for def. 2
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
psyche /ˈsaɪkɪ/ n
psych1 /saɪk/USA pronunciation
v. [Informal.]
psych., an abbreviation of:
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Informal Termsto frighten or cause a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety in the mind: [~ + object (+ out)]The tall player on their team was trying to psych our players (out).[~ (+ out) + object]to psych (out) the other team.
- Informal Termsto prepare (oneself or another) to be in the right frame of mind or to do one's best: [~ + object]was psyched and ready to go.[~ + oneself + up]psyching himself up to propose.[~ + up + object]The coach tried to psych up the team.[~ + object + up]to psych the team up before the game.
- to figure out ahead of time:[~ (+ out) + object]trying to psych out which day he'd give the test.
psych., an abbreviation of:
- Psychologypsychologist.
- Psychologypsychology.
psych1
(sīk),USA pronunciation v.t. [Informal.]
psych2 (sīk),USA pronunciation n. [Informal.]
psych-,
psych.,
- Informal Termsto intimidate or frighten psychologically, or make nervous (often fol. by out):to psych out the competition.
- Informal Termsto prepare psychologically to be in the right frame of mind or to give one's best (often fol. by up):to psych oneself up for an interview.
- Informal Termsto figure out psychologically;
decipher (often fol. by out):to psych out a problem.
- 1915–20 in earlier sense "to subject to psychoanalysis''; origin, originally a shortening of psychoanalyze; in later use (especially in defs. 1 and 2) perh. independent use of psych-
psych2 (sīk),USA pronunciation n. [Informal.]
- Informal Termspsychology, esp. as a course or field of study:She took two semesters of psych in college.
- by shortening 1890–95
psych-,
- var. of psycho- before some vowels:psychasthenia.
psych.,
- Psychologypsychological.
- psychologist.
- Psychologypsychology.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Psyche /ˈsaɪkɪ/ n
- a beautiful girl loved by Eros (Cupid), who became the personification of the soul
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
psych, psyche /saɪk/ informal vb
- (transitive) to psychoanalyse
- a psychiatrist
- a psychoactive drug
- an attempt to deceive someone
- indicating that the speaker has succeeded in deceiving the addressee
'psyche' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
contrasexual
- inner child
- pneuma
- psych
- psychedelic
- blather
- id
- internal
- mind bender
- Psyche knot
- psychic
- psycho
- psychogenesis
- psykter