psychopath

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UK/ˈsaɪkəʊpæθ/UK/ˈsaɪkəpæθ/Canada, US/ˈsaɪkoʊˌpæθ/Canada, US[ˈsɐɪkoʊˌpæθ]

noun

A person with a personality disorder indicated by a pattern of lying, cunning, manipulating, glibness, exploiting, heedlessness, arrogance, delusions of grandeur, carelessness, low self-control, disregard for morality, lack of acceptance of responsibility, callousness, and lack of empathy and remorse. Such a person may be especially prone to violent and criminal offenses.

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Meanings

nounpsychopath (plural psychopaths)

plural psychopaths

  1. A person with a personality disorder indicated by a pattern of lying, cunning, manipulating, glibness, exploiting, heedlessness, arrogance, delusions of grandeur, carelessness, low self-control, disregard for morality, lack of acceptance of responsibility, callousness, and lack of empathy and remorse. Such a person may be especially prone to violent and criminal offenses.
  2. figurativelyA person with no moral conscience.
    1 more example

    Now the real difference between now and then was that Trump wasn't looking to do much of anything positive for the American people as a whole. He mainly enriched himself and his family and gave rich people another tax cut. I think as far as Republicans being psychopaths I would say yes but it's probably a bit more complicated. The party is struggling to message against the policies the Biden administration is working to pass because they are overall popular with the voters. The Republicans would normally talk about fiscal responsibility and harp on the national debt but I think their big business "donors" don't want to see the economy stall again so we aren't seeing their normal talking points. So instead they are stoking their base with culture war crap about freedom and Biden becoming an authoritarian.

    2021 September 18, bhellbus, “Comment on 'Are the GOP psychopaths?'”, in r/chomsky, Reddit, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2022
  3. figurativelyA person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts.
  4. A person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder.
  5. obsoleteA person diagnosed with any mental disorder.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomeone with a sociopathic personality; a person with an antisocial personality disorder (‘psychopath’ was once widely used but has now been superseded by ‘sociopath’)

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Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekψυχή“soul”
  2. Germanpsychopathisch
  3. Englishpsychopath

From German psychopathisch, from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul”) + πάθος (páthos, “suffering”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans psigopaat
  • psigopaatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Bulgarian психопа́т, психопа́тка
  • психопа́т (psihopát)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • психопа́тка (psihopátka)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • психопа́т (psihopát)person who has no moral conscience
  • психопа́т (psihopát)popularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • психопа́т (psihopát)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Catalan psicòpata
  • psicòpataperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Chinese Mandarin 精神病人, 精神變態者 /精神变态者
  • 精神病人 (jīngshén bìngrén)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 精神變態者 /精神变态者 (jīngshén biàntàizhě)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 精神病患者 (jīngshénbìng huànzhě)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 變態者 /变态者 (biàntàizhě)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Czech psychopat, psychopatka
  • psychopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psychopatkaperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Danish psykopat
  • psykopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Dutch psychopaat, psychopaat
  • psychopaatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psychopaatperson who has no moral conscience
  • psychopaatpopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
Esperanto psikopato
  • psikopatoperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Estonian psühhopaat
  • psühhopaatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Finnish psykopaatti, psykopaatti
  • psykopaattiperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psykopaattiperson who has no moral conscience
  • psykopaattipopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • psykopaattiperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
French psychopathe, psychopathe
  • psychopatheperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psychopatheperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
German Psychopath, Psychopathin
  • Psychopathperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • Psychopathinperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • Psychopathperson who has no moral conscience
  • Psychopatinperson who has no moral conscience
  • Psychopathpopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • Psychopatinpopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • Psychopathperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • Psychopatinperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Greek ψυχοπαθής, ψυχοπαθής
  • ψυχοπαθής (psychopathís)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • ψυχοπαθής (psychopathís)person who has no moral conscience
  • ψυχοπαθής (psychopathís)popularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • ψυχοπαθής (psychopathís)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Hebrew פְּסִיכוֹפָּת
  • פְּסִיכוֹפָּת (psikhopát)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Hindi मनोरोगी
  • मनोरोगी (manorogī)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Hungarian pszichopata, pszichopata
  • pszichopataperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • pszichopataperson who has no moral conscience
  • pszichopatapopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • pszichopataperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Indonesian psikopat
  • psikopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Irish síceapatach, síceapatach
  • síceapatachperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • síceapatachperson who has no moral conscience
  • síceapatachpopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • síceapatachperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Italian psicopatico, psicopatica
  • psicopaticoperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psicopaticaperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psicopaticoperson who has no moral conscience
  • psicopaticaperson who has no moral conscience
  • psicopaticopopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • psicopaticapopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • psicopaticoperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • psicopaticaperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Japanese サイコパス, 精神病質者
  • サイコパス (saikopasu)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 精神病質者 (seishinbyōshitsusha)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 人格障害者 (jinkakushōgaisha)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • サイコパス (saikopasu)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • 精神病質者 (seishinbyōshitsusha)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • 人格障害者 (jinkakushōgaisha)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Korean 사이코패스, 정신병질자
  • 사이코패스 (saikopaeseu)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 정신병질자 (jeongsinbyeongjilja)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • 사이코패스 (saikopaeseu)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • 정신병질자 (jeongsinbyeongjilja)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Latvian psihopāts
  • psihopātsperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Lithuanian psichopatas
  • psichopatasperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Malay psikopat
  • psikopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Norwegian Bokmål psykopat
  • psykopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Persian روانآزار, سایکوپات
  • روانآزار (ravân-âzâr)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • سایکوپات (sâykopât)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Polish psychopata, psychopatka
  • psychopataperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psychopatkaperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Portuguese psicopata
  • psicopataperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Romanian psihopat, psihopată
  • psihopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psihopatăperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psihopatperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • psihopatăperson diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Russian психопа́т, психопа́тка
  • психопа́т (psixopát)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • психопа́тка (psixopátka)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • псих (psix)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • психопа́т (psixopát)person who has no moral conscience
  • психопа́тка (psixopátka)person who has no moral conscience
  • психопа́т (psixopát)popularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • психопа́тка (psixopátka)popularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • психопа́т (psixopát)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • психопа́тка (psixopátka)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
  • псих (psix)person diagnosed with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder
Slovak psychopat, psychopatka
  • psychopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psychopatkaperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Spanish psicópata, psicópata
  • psicópataperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psicópatapopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
Swedish psykopat, psykfall
  • psykopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • psykfallpopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
  • psykopopularly: a person who perpetrates especially gruesome or bizarre violent acts
Tagalog sikopato
  • sikopatoperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Turkish psikopat
  • psikopatperson with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Ukrainian психопа́т, психопа́тка
  • психопа́т (psyxopát)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
  • психопа́тка (psyxopátka)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Yiddish פּסיכאָפּאַט
  • פּסיכאָפּאַט (psikhopat)person with a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy
Cite this entry
APA

psychopath. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychopath

MLA

“psychopath.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychopath. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “psychopath,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychopath.

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