psych

1

or psyche

[ sahyk ]
/ saɪk /

verb (used with object) Informal.

to intimidate or frighten psychologically, or make nervous (often followed by out): to psych out the competition.
to prepare psychologically to be in the right frame of mind or to give one's best (often followed by up): to psych oneself up for an interview.
to figure out psychologically; decipher (often followed by out): to psych out a problem.

Origin of psych

1
1915–20 in earlier sense “to subject to psychoanalysis”; originally a shortening of psychoanalyze; in later use (especially in defs 1, 2) perhaps independent use of psych-

Words nearby psych

British Dictionary definitions for psych up (1 of 2)

psych up

verb

(tr, adverb) informal to get (oneself or another) into a state of psychological readiness for an action, performance, etc

British Dictionary definitions for psych up (2 of 2)

psych

psyche

/ (saɪk) /

verb

(tr) informal to psychoanalyse See also psych out, psych up

Word Origin for psych

C20: shortened from psychoanalyse

Idioms and Phrases with psych up

psych up

Excite emotionally, as in The chorus was really psyched up for performing in Symphony Hall. [Slang; c. 1970]