psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

ˈsī-kō-

: a mentally unstable person

especially : a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one's actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies

Synonyms

• bug
• crackbrain
• crazy
• fool
• fruitcake
• head case
• loon
• loony
• lunatic
• maniac
• nut
• nutcase
• nutter [British slang]
• psycho
• sickie
• sicko
• wacko
• whacko

Examples of psychopath in a Sentence

declared that he was a dangerous psychopath

Recent Examples on the Web

Gibson is making 1991’s Dexter his own, Brown said, by thriving in the complex mask-work that’s required to play a lethal psychopath learning to conceal his still-emerging condition. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024

Lowen ingratiates herself with Jeremy and his son, Crew, to buy herself time to work out whether Verity's books are truly fiction or an ominous warning from a deranged psychopath. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024

His religious ramblings and digressions aren’t always coherent or particularly clever, but that’s by design — and the real thrill comes from trying to determine, as Barnes and Paxton work to do, exactly what kind of psychopath Mr. Reed is. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024

The series that changed the mystery genre forever follows the ingeniously dark psychopath and takes us inside his sinister mind. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

: a mentally ill or unstable person

especially : one who does not feel guilty about not living up to normal social and moral responsibilities and exhibits a disregard for the feelings and safety of others

Medical Definition

psychopath

noun

psy·​cho·​path ˈsī-kə-ˌpath 

1

: a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one's actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies

2

formerly : a person with antisocial personality disorder