psychopath

[ sahy-kuh-path ]

noun

1. a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

psychopath

/ ˈsaɪkəʊˌpæθ /

noun

1. a person afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit antisocial and sometimes violent acts and a failure to feel guilt for such acts Also calledsociopath

psychopath

1. A mentally unbalanced person who is inclined toward antisocial and criminal behavior. ( Compare sociopath .)

Derived Forms

• ˌpsychoˈpathic, adjective
• ˌpsychoˈpathically, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychopath¹

First recorded in 1880–85; psycho- + -path

Example Sentences

Its newer persona suggests a softer side, a demon looking creature but finally not a psychopath, merely a misunderstood everyman with feathers.

From Nautilus

It’s the kind of TV Patrick Bateman from American Psycho would have if he were just a normal rich guy and not a murderous psychopath.

From Popular-Science

In April 2007, after a solid 34-year run in prison — back when noted psychopaths were a slight exception to the three-decade limit — Filho was released for the first time.

From Ozy

With very little information, people can guess at rates above chance whether someone is a psychopath.

From Nautilus

We both had maybe a little bit of a twisted interest in psychopaths, dictators — psychopaths of all stripes.

From Vox

In rambling posts, he called himself a loser, and wrote that he must be either bipolar or a psychopath.

From The Daily Beast

For urgent enquiries, or indeed any enquiries, please contact someone who is not an insane psychopath.

From The Daily Beast

In his late 20s, Cumming confronted his father about his abuse; in response, his father insisted, “I am not a psychopath.”

From The Daily Beast

Dude looks just like Richie Cunningham—Sunday, Monday—Psychopath!

From The Daily Beast

Game of Thrones had an overly sensual libertine while House of Cards had a manipulative psychopath.

From The Daily Beast

He barely rated above average on the corporate psychopath meter.

From Project Gutenberg

For an accusation of physical coercion and threat of rape would be far less convincing from a psychopath.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lunatic
• maniac
• psycho
• sociopath