Psych Out

Pronunciation: /saɪk aʊt/

Definitions of psych out

verb to intimidate, manipulate, or deceive someone psychologically in order to gain an advantage

Example Sentences

A1 I tried to psych out my opponent by making funny faces.

A2 She psyches out her classmates by pretending to have superpowers.

B1 The coach psychs out the team before every game to boost their confidence.

B2 The chess player tried to psych out his opponent by staring intensely at him.

C1 The negotiator used psychological tactics to psych out the other party during the meeting.

C2 The poker player was skilled at psyching out his opponents and bluffing his way to victory.

Examples of psych out in a Sentence

formal The athlete tried to psych out his opponent by maintaining a calm and confident demeanor.

informal I think she's trying to psych us out with all these mind games.

slang Don't let them psych you out, just focus on your own game.

figurative The loud noises from the construction site were starting to psych me out.

Grammatical Forms of psych out

• past tense: psyched out
• plural: psych outs
• comparative: more psyched out
• superlative: most psyched out
• present tense: psych out
• future tense: will psych out
• perfect tense: have psyched out
• continuous tense: is psyching out
• singular: psychs out
• positive degree: psych out
• infinitive: to psych out
• gerund: psyching out
• participle: psyched out

Origin and Evolution of psych out

First Known Use: 1969 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'psych out' originated as slang in the United States.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of sports to describe the act of intimidating or unsettling an opponent mentally, 'psych out' has evolved to encompass a broader range of situations where one attempts to mentally unnerve or outwit someone.