psychedelic

[ sahy-ki-del-ik ]

adjective

1. of or noting a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations and by extreme feelings of either euphoria or despair:

   LSD users seek the psychedelic properties of the drug, including heightened sensory experiences.

2. of, relating to, or noting any of various drugs producing this state, such as LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin:

   Researchers have long been interested in the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs for humans.

3. characterized by images, sounds, or feelings resembling those experienced while in the altered state produced by psychedelic drugs: The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

   Their music had a dreamy psychedelic sound, with gentle guitars and hushed vocals.

   The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

noun

1. a psychedelic drug:

   The clinic will start treating patients with ketamine, a psychedelic.

2. Rare. a person who uses such a substance.

psychedelic

/ ˌsaɪkɪˈdɛlɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or denoting new or altered perceptions or sensory experiences, as through the use of hallucinogenic drugs
2. denoting any of the drugs, esp LSD, that produce these effects
3. informal.
   (of painting, fabric design, etc) having the vivid colours and complex patterns popularly associated with the visual effects of psychedelic states

psychedelic

1. A descriptive term for things that produce or are related to hallucinations , especially drugs such as LSD .

Notes

Psychedelic art, most popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s, combines patterns, objects, light, and sound to simulate hallucinatory experiences.

Derived Forms

• ˌpsycheˈdelically, adverb

Other Words From

• psy·che·del·i·cal·ly adverb
• pre·psych·e·del·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

First recorded in 1956; from psyche + Greek dêl(os) “visible, manifest, evident” + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

C20: from psyche + Greek delos visible

Example Sentences

Ketamine, an anesthetic administered through infusions that can have psychedelic properties, has been hailed as a life-saving treatment for some patients.

From Salon

Yet one of his best-regarded productions was the Kinks’ 1967 “Waterloo Sunset,” a gently psychedelic pop song about a guy watching two lovers cross a bridge over the River Thames.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, its high volume of ketamine, a potent anesthetic already skyrocketing as a prescription medication as well as surging in misuse, is responsible for its dissociative and psychedelic effects.

From Los Angeles Times

This anecdote conflates the psychedelic trip that his character undergoes with the actor himself.

From Los Angeles Times

A comic strip-inspired 1967 poster for psychedelic rock group the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band belongs to the collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hallucinatory
• kaleidoscopic
• multicolored