psychotic

adjective

psy·​chot·​ic sī-ˈkä-tik 

1

medical : of, relating to, marked by, or affected with psychosis

a psychotic patient

psychotic behavior

2

sometimes offensive : exhibiting or suggestive of mental or emotional unsoundness or instability

—not used technically

Note: The nontechnical use of psychotic is increasingly viewed as a trivialization of mental illness.

psychotic noun

plural psychotics

psychotically

sī-ˈkä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• balmy
• barmy [chiefly British]
• bats
• batty
• bedlam
• bonkers
• brainsick
• bughouse [slang]
• certifiable
• crackbrained
• cracked
• crackers
• crackpot
• cranky [dialect]
• crazed
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• demented
• deranged
• fruity [slang]
• gaga
• haywire
• insane
• kooky
• kookie
• loco [slang]
• loony
• looney
• loony tunes
• looney tunes
• lunatic
• mad
• maniacal
• maniac
• mental
• meshuga
• meshugge
• meshugah
• meshuggah
• moonstruck
• non compos mentis
• nuts
• nutty
• psycho
• scatty [chiefly British]
• screwy
• unbalanced
• unhinged
• unsound
• wacko
• whacko
• wacky
• whacky
• wud [chiefly Scottish]

Examples of psychotic in a Sentence

He was diagnosed as psychotic.

a psychotic patient who was recently admitted

Recent Examples on the Web

The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods. —Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023

Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1. —Thomas Saccente, Arkansas Online, 17 Jan. 2023

Upon arrival, body camera video footage and audio show Terrell was confused and potentially in the midst of a psychotic break. —The Arizona Republic, 5 Jan. 2023

However, the increase was accounted for by the rise in non-psychotic patients, and there was a rise in the rate of people with only anxiety disorders. —Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2011

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

psychotic

1 of 2 adjective

psy·​chot·​ic

sī-ˈkät-ik

: of, relating to, or marked by psychosis

psychotic

2 of 2 noun

: a psychotic person

Medical Definition

psychotic

1 of 2 adjective

psy·​chot·​ic sī-ˈkät-ik 

: of, relating to, marked by, or affected with psychosis

psychotically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

psychotic

2 of 2 noun

: a psychotic individual