psych

verb[before a noun]9

1. •
   [before a noun, with oneself] (informal) Often followed by up: to put (someone or oneself) into a mental or psychological state where one is ready for some (often challenging) experience; specifically, to make (someone or oneself) enthusiastic or excited about something.

   • Hip hop always gets me psyched, so I put it on before a race.
2. •
   (informal) Of a person: to get into a mental or psychological state where one is ready for some (often challenging) experience; specifically, to make oneself enthusiastic or excited about something.
3. •
   [before a noun, with oneself] (informal) Often followed by out: to deceive, intimidate, or otherwise manipulate (someone or oneself) emotionally or using psychology.
4. •
   (US, informal) Followed by out: to become mentally confused or disturbed.
5. •
   (informal) Chiefly followed by out: to analyse (something), especially psychologically; also (generally), to work out (something).
6. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychoanalyse (“to treat (someone) using psychoanalysis”); also, to carry out psychological testing on (someone).

   • Prisoners brought from all the lockups in the city were unloaded here. […] They trooped in to be psyched, social-worked, assigned to cells. — 1982
7. •
   To make (a bid) intended to mislead opponents by giving a false impression about one's hand of playing cards.
8. •
   To deceive (an opponent or opponents) with such a psychic bid.
9. •
   To make a bid intended to mislead opponents by giving a false impression about one's hand of playing cards; to make a psychic bid.

exclamation[before a noun]2

1. •
   (informal, slang) Used to indicate jokingly that a statement which one has made was false and that one has successfully fooled the person whom one is speaking to; just kidding!, not!, tricked you!

   • Here, have fifty dollars. Psych! That was two dollars!
   • I broke up with my girlfriend. Here’s her number. Psych! That’s the wrong number!
2. •
   (informal, slang) Used to express surprised happiness; wow!

   • Psych! I just found my missing bracelet!

adjective[before a noun]2

1. •
   (informal) Of or relating to psychedelic rock music.
2. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychedelic (“of, containing, generating, or reminiscent of drug-induced altered awareness, distortions of perception, hallucinations, etc.”).

   • curtains with psych colours

noun[before a noun]8

1. •
   (informal) A psychiatric hospital or other treatment facility; also, a psychiatric department or ward in such a facility.

   • He had to be involuntarily committed to the psych ward.
2. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychology.

   • I took psych in my freshman year at college.
3. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychiatry.
4. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychologist; also, a clipping of psychoanalyst.
5. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychiatrist.
6. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychedelic rock (“a genre of rock music influenced by psychedelia, blues, electronic music, folk music, jazz, and the hippie counterculture of the 1960s”).
7. •
   (informal) Clipping of psychic or psychic bid (“a bid intended to mislead opponents by giving a false impression about one's hand of playing cards”).
8. •
   (informal, rare) Clipping of psychic (“a person who possesses, or appears to possess, extra-sensory abilities such as clairvoyance, precognition, and telepathy, or who appears to be susceptible to paranormal or supernatural influences”).

noun1

1. •
   Abbreviation of psychology.