I. psych 1 /saɪk/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: Partly from psychoanalyze and partly from psych- ]
psych somebody ↔ out phrasal verb
informal to do or say things that will make your opponent in a game or competition feel nervous or confused, so that it is easier for you to win
psych somebody up phrasal verb informal
if you psych yourself up or if someone psychs you up, you get mentally prepared before doing something so that you feel confident
psych yourself up (for something)
We both knew we had to psych ourselves up for the race.
II. psych 2 BrE AmE noun spoken informal
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: psychology ]
1 . [uncountable] a short form of ↑ psychology :
I’m a psych major now.
2 . [countable] a short form of ↑ psychiatrist