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psycho

/ˈsaɪ̯.koʊ̯/adjective, noun

psycho is spelled P-S-Y-C-H-O: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory adjective, psycho means “Psychotic, psychopathic, or (broadly) otherwise insane” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in psycho?

Letters6: P-S-Y-C-H-O
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing5.5 times per million words; the 10,519th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is psycho?

Psycho appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce psycho?

  • UK /ˈsaɪ̯.kəʊ̯/
  • US /ˈsaɪ̯.koʊ̯/

Psycho has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-psycho.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-NaomiAmethyst-psycho-.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with psycho?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as psycho from its last stressed vowel (/aɪkoʊ/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of psycho

  • more psycho comparative
  • most psycho superlative
  • syko
  • psychos plural
  • psych-

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does psycho mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    colloquialderogatoryPsychotic, psychopathic, or (broadly) otherwise insane.

noun

  1. 1

    derogatoryslangA person who is psychotic, psychopathic, or (broadly) otherwise insane.

    The loony bin up on the hill is full of psychos.

  2. 2

    derogatoryslangA person who acts in a bizarre or dangerous manner.

    She complained that he was a psycho for driving at such a high speed in heavy traffic.

  3. 3

    informalA class, at a college or university, in which psychology is taught.

    I've got anthro, socio, lunch, and psycho.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Psycho in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Germanpsycho ((colloquial or pejorative) Psychotic), Psycho, Psychopath (psychotic or otherwise insane person), Verrückte (person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner), psycho- (relating to the mind)
Portuguesepsicótico, psicopático, louco, psicopata ((colloquial or pejorative) Psychotic), doido, insano (psychotic or otherwise insane person)
Frenchpsychopathe (psychotic or otherwise insane person), psycho- (relating to the mind)
Spanishpsicópata (psychotic or otherwise insane person), psico- (relating to the mind)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does psycho come from?

Clipping of psychotic or psychopath + -o (“person with characteristic”). Compare sicko.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after psycho