verb
psych
To unsettle people or undermine their confidence.
She tries to psych out her opponent before every match.
Etymology
Psych out uses the psychological word family for an attempt to unsettle a person's confidence. It is not a separate unrelated psych root.
More examples
- Don't let his tough talk psych you out.
- I psyched myself out by imagining everything that could go wrong.
- The crowd keeps psyching out the visiting team's goalie.
Forms
psych · psychs · psyched · psyching
Similar words
- unnerve
- Emphasizes loss of composure, without necessarily implying deliberate manipulation.
- intimidate
- Emphasizes fear caused by threats, power, or imposing behavior.
- rattle
- Suggests temporarily disrupting someone's calm or concentration.