- a person considered aggressive and highly emotionally unstable
- offensive
an informal and offensive word for psychopath
- aggressive and highly emotionally unstable
- offensive
an informal and offensive word for psychopathic
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
psy•cho /ˈsaɪkoʊ/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -chos, adj. [Slang.]
n. [countable]
adj.
psycho-,
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [countable]
- Psychiatry, Slang Termsa crazy person.
adj.
- Psychiatry, Slang Termscharacteristic of such a person.
psycho-,
- [prefix.]psycho- comes from Greek, where it has the meaning "soul;
mind.'' This meaning is found in such words as: parapsychology, psychedelic, psychiatry, psychic, psychological, psychology, psychopath, psychosis, psychotic.
psy•cho
(sī′kō),USA pronunciation n., pl. -chos, adj. [Slang.]
n.
adj.
psycho-,
n.
- Psychiatry, Slang Termsa psychopathic or neurotic person.
adj.
- Psychiatry, Slang Termspsychopathic;
psychoneurotic.
- shortened form 1935–40
psycho-,
- a combining form representing psyche (psychological) and psychological (psychoanalysis) in compound words.
- Greek, combining form of psȳché̄ breath, spirit, soul, mind; akin to psý̄chein to blow (see psykter)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
psycho /ˈsaɪkəʊ/ informal n ( pl -chos)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
psycho-, (sometimes before a vowel) psych- combining form
- indicating the mind or psychological or mental processes: psychology, psychogenesis, psychosomatic
'psycho' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
psycho-
- psychokinesis
- psychosis
- thematic
- alcoholic psychosis
- metempsychosis
- prison psychosis
- psych
- psyche
- psychoacoustics
- psychoactive
- psychoanalysis
- psychoanalyst
- psychoanalyze
- psychobabble
- psychobiography
- psychobiology
- psychochemical
- psychodiagnosis
- psychodrama
- psychodynamics
- psychoendocrinology
- psychogalvanic
- psychogalvanometer
- psychogenesis
- psychogenic
- psychogeriatrics
- psychograph
- psychographics
- psychohistory
- psycholinguistics
- psychology
- psychomancy
- psychometrics
- psychometry
- psychomimetic
- psychomotor
- psychoneurosis
- psychoneurotic
- psychopath
- psychopathology
- psychopathy
- psychopharmacology
- psychopharmacotherapy
- psychophysics
- psychophysiology
- psychopomp
- psychoprophylaxis
- psychosexual
- psychosocial