psycho 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of psychonext
as in psychotic
having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind only someone who is totally psycho could have committed such a heinous crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

psycho

2 of 2

noun

ˈsī-(ˌ)kō How to pronounce psycho (audio)
as in psychopath
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind a story based on a real-life psycho who had serious mother-son issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of psycho
Noun
Yet the bear adds gore and suspense and a soupçon of lurid excitement, the same way that an ax-wielding psycho does. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023 Here is McCarthy’s God: a deranged psycho who not only tolerates his world’s atrocities but conceives of them in these strange and inhuman terms. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2022 Gen X icons Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, and David Arquette teach some Gen Z whippersnappers how to avoid being murdered by a masked psycho in the new trailer for Scream 5. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2021 Australian actor Josh Lawson as the psycho Kano steals the movie with enough twisted humor to deserve his own franchise. — Mark Kennedy, Star Tribune, 22 Apr. 2021 See All Example Sentences for psycho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for psycho
  1. psychotic
  2. psychopath
  3. lunatic
  4. maniac
  5. mad
  6. fool
  7. nuts
  8. insane
Adjective
  • The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.
    — Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.
    — Thomas Saccente, Arkansas Online, 17 Jan. 2023
Definition of psychotic
Noun
  • These psychopaths care more about enforcing DEI than saving lives!
    — Khaleda Rahman, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Some of the more jarring sequences remain amusing despite their brashness: At one point, for example, Mickey narrates a shocking vignette—about a psychopath on Earth who printed multiple copies of himself to carry out grisly murders—with the resigned, wary tone of an office worker.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of psychopath
Adjective
  • With his shock of spiky hair and adrenaline rushes, Smith turns a corporate villain into a lunatic new-wave frontman.
    — Charles McNultyTheater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2023
  • The first personality is the lunatic, chaotic artist, with no limits.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 8 Dec. 2022
Definition of lunatic
Noun
  • Will Amanda LaRusso finally become a karate maniac in these final episodes?
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Where Brits feel like suspicious maniacs—one of the most rewarding things about UK Traits is seeing relatively clever people so certain in their wrongness—Americans are lambs to the slaughter, bound up in factions blind to internal threats.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
Definition of maniac
Adjective
  • Then Sterling did some less effective things and got suspended anyway, so that mad idea was, at least, parked for the time being.
    — Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Staff Pick: The mad scramble for backyard eggs Naeema Fineley's backyard chicken coop in Georgia.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of mad
Noun
  • Once infused with the diabolical spirit, the guide is transformed into a buffoon, complete with a harlequin outfit—a mad joker and a dancing fool who does a little jig to the sound of a jazz trio.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The two murderers point fingers at one another, then end up teaming up to go fool Lottie’s poor elderly father.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of fool
Adjective
  • Contrary to popular belief, peanuts are actually not nuts.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Nonetheless, April 5, 2022, was nuts.
    — Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2023
Definition of nuts
Adjective
  • Your voice is insane.
    — Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
  • The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.
    — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 2023
Definition of insane

Browse Nearby Words

psycho
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Psycho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psycho. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All