different between psycho vs psychopath

English

Alternative forms

• syko (slang)

Pronunciation

• (UK, General Australian) IPA^(key): /?sa??.k???/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /?sa??.ko??/
• Rhymes: -a?k??

Etymology 1

Clipping of psychotic and psychopath +? -o (“person with characteristic”).

Adjective

psycho (comparative more psycho, superlative most psycho)

1. (colloquial or derogatory) Psychotic, or otherwise insane.

Translations

Noun

psycho (plural psychos)

1. (derogatory, slang) A person who is psychotic or otherwise insane.

   Synonyms: freak, loony, nutcase, wacko

2. (derogatory, slang) A person who acts in a bizarre or dangerous manner.

   Synonyms: creep, freak, loose cannon, weirdo

Translations

Etymology 2

Clipping of psychology.

Noun

psycho (uncountable)

1. (informal) A class, at a college or university, in which psychology is taught.

English

Etymology

From German psychopatisch, from Ancient Greek ???? (psukh?, “soul”) + ????? (páthos, “suffering”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?sa?ko??pæ?/

Noun

psychopath (plural psychopaths)

1. A person with a personality disorder indicated by a pattern of lying, cunning, manipulating, glibness, exploiting, heedlessness, arrogance, delusions of grandeur, sexual promiscuity, low self-control, disregard for morality, lack of acceptance of responsibility, callousness, and lack of empathy and remorse. Such an individual may be especially prone to violent and criminal offenses.
2. (figuratively) A person with no moral conscience who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts.
3. A person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder.
4. (obsolete) A person diagnosed with any mental disorder.

Synonyms

• sociopath

Derived terms

• psychopathic
• psychopathy

Related terms

• psycho
• psychopathology
• psychotic

Translations