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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
Examples of psychopath in a Sentence
declared that he was a dangerous psychopath
Recent Examples on the Web
But that doesn’t mean the Reich must always be represented by one or two conniving, mid-level psychopath characters, plus dozens of faceless foot soldiers.
—TIME, 8 May 2024
When a therapist screens her using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, her score is higher than average but not high enough to qualify her as a psychopath.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
Spooked by Tom’s growing fixation on him, Dickie tries to shake off his guest but only succeeds in awakening Tom’s inner psychopath.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The movie’s most chilling sequence—in a nicely demented touch, Jesse Plemons, Dunst’s offscreen husband, pops up as a murderous psychopath—is also its most dubiously contrived.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for psychopath
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psychopath.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1885, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near psychopath
Cite this Entry
“Psychopath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychopath. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
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
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