psicópata
/siˈkopata/
The Spanish word for 'psycho' is psicópata.
psicópata refers to a person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner.
Meaning: person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
psicópata is an invariable noun and adjective, meaning it stays the same regardless of whether the person is male or female. To make the word plural, add an -s to form psicópatas.
How do you pronounce it?
/siˈkopata/
Did you know?
- The root of psicópata comes from the Ancient Greek words for 'soul' and 'suffering'.
- While 'psycho' in English is often used as a casual slang noun, using psicópata in Spanish can often sound much more clinically heavy or even more serious in a medical context.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people might use the word loco to describe someone acting bizarrely, which is much more common in casual conversation than using the full term psicópata.
Examples in context
- Mi vecino se comporta como un psicópata, deberíamos tener precaución.My neighbor behaves like a psychopath, we should be cautious.
- No hables con ella, está loca de remate.Don't talk to her, she's completely psycho.
- El nuevo vecino está completamente chiflado, habla solo por las noches.The new neighbor is totally psycho, he talks to himself at night.
- Ese hombre es un psicópata.That man is a psycho.
- No te acerques, es un psicópata.Don't go near him, he is a psycho.
- El psicópata huyó de la escena.The psycho fled the scene.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a strange person they saw in the park.
- Alejandro¿Viste al hombre del parque?Did you see the man in the park?
- LucíaSí, parece un psicópata.Yes, he seems like a psycho.
- AlejandroMe dio mucho miedo.He scared me a lot.
- LucíaTen cuidado con ese psicópata.Be careful with that psycho.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry psicópata, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries psicópata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
