Word
psychopath
Meanings
a person characterized by a persistent lack of empathy and remorse, often linked with manipulative or antisocial behavior
an informal, exaggerated term for someone perceived as dangerously cruel or reckless
Definition
A psychopath is a person who shows a persistent lack of empathy and remorse and may behave in a manipulative, harmful way.
A psychopath is someone described as having an extreme pattern of antisocial behavior, shallow emotions, and little or no empathy or guilt. The word is often used in psychology and in everyday speech, but it is frequently overused as an insult. In careful writing, it refers to a severe personality pattern rather than simply someone who is rude or difficult.
Examples
- I avoided calling him a psychopath, because I didn’t want to reduce complex behavior to a label.
- You shouldn’t diagnose a stranger as a psychopath based on a single viral clip.
- He portrayed the villain as a psychopath whose charm masked a cold indifference to others.
- She worried the headline was misleading, since it implied the suspect was a psychopath without evidence.
- They debated whether the narrator is a psychopath or simply a deeply unreliable storyteller.
Common mistake
Learners often use "psychopath" for anyone unpleasant, but it refers to an extreme pattern and can be inaccurate or defamatory in real contexts.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More nouns
- fascism Fascism is an extreme right-wing political system with a powerful dictator, strong nationalism, and…
- gaslighting Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that makes someone doubt their own memory, judg…
- narcissist A narcissist is someone who is excessively self-centered and craves admiration while showing little…
- empathy Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings.
- metaphor A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else to create a clear image …