psychoactive

P3S1Y4C3H4O1A1C3T1I1V4E1
US/ˌsaɪkoʊˈæktɪv/

adjective

Affecting the mind or mental processes.

“LSD and DMT are psychoactives.”

Similar
psychotropichallucinogenicmind-alteringmind-expandingmind-bendingmind-blowing
Opposite
nonpsychoactive
UncommonScrabble 27
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Meanings

adjectivepsychoactive (comparative more psychoactive, superlative most psychoactive)

comparative more psychoactive · superlative most psychoactive

  1. medicineAffecting the mind or mental processes.

    LSD and DMT are psychoactive drugs.

    1 more example

    Ng blows out more smoke, thinking. "As we learned in Vietnam, high-powered weapons are so sensorily overwhelming that they are similar to psychoactive drugs.

    1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 367

    Synonyms: psychotropic

nounpsychoactive (plural psychoactives)

plural psychoactives

  1. medicineAny drug that affects the mind or mental processes.

    LSD and DMT are psychoactives.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveAffecting the mind or mental processes.

Similar
psychotropic

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveaffecting the mind or mood or other mental processes

Similar
psychotropichallucinogenicmind-alteringmind-expandingmind-bendingmind-blowing
Opposite
nonpsychoactive
Also see
hallucinogenicmind-alteringmind-bendingmind-blowingmind-expandingpsychedelicpsychotropic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From psycho- + active.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian въздействащ на психиката
  • въздействащ на психиката (văzdejstvašt na psihikata)pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Catalan psicoactiu
  • psicoactiupharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Chinese Mandarin 作用於精神的, 作用于精神的
  • 作用於精神的pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
  • 作用于精神的 (zuòyòng yú jīngshén de)pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
  • 影響心理狀態的pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
  • 影响心理状态的 (yǐngxiǎng xīnlǐ zhuàngtài de)pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Esperanto psikoaktiva, psikaktiva
  • psikoaktivapharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
  • psikaktivapharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Finnish psykoaktiivinen
  • psykoaktiivinenpharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
French psychoactif, psychotrope
  • psychoactifpharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
  • psychotropepharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
German psychoaktiv
  • psychoaktivpharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Italian psicoattivo
  • psicoattivopharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Polish psychoaktywny
  • psychoaktywnypharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Russian психоактивный
  • психоактивный (psixoaktivnyj)pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Spanish psicoactivo
  • psicoactivopharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Swedish psykoaktiv
  • psykoaktivpharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Ukrainian психоакти́вний
  • психоакти́вний (psyxoaktývnyj)pharmacology: affecting the mind or mental processes
Cite this entry
APA

psychoactive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychoactive

MLA

“psychoactive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychoactive. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “psychoactive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychoactive.

Source: psychoactive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.