psych out
English
Etymology
Recorded since 1934 (in sense of "outsmart"); from psych (short for psychology) + out.
Verb
psych out (third-person singular simple present psychs out, present participle psyching out, simple past and past participle psyched out)
Noun
psych out (plural psych outs)
- (informal) The act of unnerving somebody.
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “psych”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.