psychic
gb/sˈaɪkɪk/ us/sˈaɪkɪk/
B2
English
~ 6900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person with supposed psychic powers
A person who says they can use special powers to know things, see the future, or talk to spirits.
Usage pattern:
visit a psychic for [a reading/advice]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'psychic' with 'psychologist'. A 'psychic' claims to use supernatural powers, while a 'psychologist' is a trained mental health professional who uses science, not magic or spirits.
Synonyms
clairvoyant (More formal and specific; often suggests seeing future events or distant things rather than all types of supernatural ability.)
|
medium (Usually a psychic who specifically claims to talk to the dead.)
Antonyms
skeptic (A person who doubts or does not believe psychic powers are real, making them an opposite type of person in this context.)
Collocations
visit a psychic
|consult a psychic
|see a psychic
|self-proclaimed psychic
|psychic hotline
|psychic reading
Themes
supernatural
|beliefs
|entertainment
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She went to a psychic who told her she would soon change careers.
- The TV show follows a famous psychic as he gives readings to celebrities.
- A street psychic offered to read my palm for twenty dollars.
- Many people visit psychics for comfort after losing a loved one.
- He claims to be a psychic who can communicate with spirits.
Learner examples
- My friend went to a psychic to ask about her love life.
- The psychic said I would get a new job next year.
- We saw a psychic at the fair and asked for a reading.
- Her aunt is a well-known psychic in that city.
adjective
B2
property
2
having or using supernatural powers
Describes powers or things that use special, non-physical powers to know hidden things, see the future, or feel spirits.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has psychic powers
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'psychic' to describe anything 'strange' or 'scary'. It should be used for things related to special mental powers, like reading minds or seeing the future, not just anything unusual.
Synonyms
supernatural (Broader; includes anything beyond natural laws, not only mental powers.)
|
paranormal (Common in media and research contexts; slightly more technical and neutral than 'psychic'.)
Antonyms
ordinary (Emphasizes the lack of any special or supernatural power.)
Collocations
psychic powers
|psychic abilities
|psychic phenomena
|psychic vision
|psychic experience
|psychic message
Themes
supernatural
|beliefs
|entertainment
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He claims to have psychic powers that let him know what people are thinking.
- Scientists have tried to test psychic abilities under controlled conditions.
- The movie is about a child with psychic visions of future disasters.
- She went to a psychic healer who said he could sense her energy.
- Some people believe in psychic communication between twins.
Learner examples
- She says she has psychic powers.
- The book is about a boy with psychic ability.
- Do you believe in psychic dreams?
- He went on TV to talk about his psychic gift.
adjective
informal
C1
property
3
extremely intuitive or aware
Describes someone who seems to know what will happen or what other people feel, even when no one tells them.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is almost psychic about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this always means real magic. In everyday speech, people often use 'psychic' here as a joke or exaggeration to mean 'very good at guessing or feeling things', not true supernatural power.
Synonyms
intuitive (Focuses on natural understanding; does not carry the supernatural or joking tone that 'psychic' often has here.)
Antonyms
oblivious (Describes someone who does not notice or understand things around them.)
Collocations
almost psychic
|seems psychic
|psychic about people's feelings
|psychic sense
|psychic awareness
Themes
personality
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She's almost psychic when it comes to knowing what her kids need.
- My boss is psychic about deadlines; he emails me just before I hit a problem.
- You must be psychic—you called right when I was thinking about you.
- His sense of timing is psychic; he always arrives at the perfect moment.
- Their dog seems psychic about storms and hides before the first thunder.
Learner examples
- My mom is psychic about my moods.
- You are psychic! I was just going to call you.
- She is almost psychic about the weather.
- He is psychic about what his team needs.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
relating to the mind, not body
About the mind or feelings, not the body, often in formal or academic writing.
Usage pattern:
[someone] suffers psychic harm from [an experience]
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this always means 'supernatural'. In academic or literary texts, 'psychic' often simply means 'mental' or 'psychological', not magical.
Synonyms
psychological (The standard modern term; more common in academic and clinical language than 'psychic'.)
Antonyms
physical (Refers to the body or material things, as opposed to the mind.)
Collocations
psychic trauma
|psychic conflict
|psychic energy
|psychic life
|psychic pain
|psychic structure
Themes
psychology
|science
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The novel explores the psychic damage caused by war.
- Therapy helped him process the psychic trauma of the accident.
- Some theories describe aggression as a way to discharge excess psychic energy.
- Her poetry focuses on the psychic life of the modern city-dweller.
- The film depicts the psychic cost of constant fear and insecurity.
Learner examples
- The crash left him with psychic pain as well as physical pain.
- The book is about the psychic life of children.
- War can cause deep psychic damage.
- She studied the psychic effects of stress.
Grammar
Dictionary form
psychic
IPA
GB/sˈaɪkɪk/
US/sˈaɪkɪk/
Syllables & stress
psych - ic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (psych)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: psychic
Noun
- Base: psychic
- Plural: psychics
Word family
Forms
psychics
noun
Core family
Related words
psyche
noun C1
Advanced or less common
psychical
adjective
psychically
adverb
Expressions
psychic damage
1/sˈaɪkɪk dˈæmɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
emotional or mental harm
Strong emotional or mental hurt caused by something bad that happens or by cruel words.
Examples
- The bullying did long-term psychic damage to his self-esteem.
- The film shows the psychic damage caused by growing up in a violent home.
- That comment did more psychic damage than she realized.
psychic energy
1/sˈaɪkɪk ˈɛnɚd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
formal
mental or emotional energy
A term in psychology and related areas for the mental or emotional energy that the mind uses.
Examples
- Some theories describe creativity as a form of redirected psychic energy.
- Therapy helped him free up psychic energy that had been locked in guilt.
- The author suggests that anxiety consumes a large amount of psychic energy.
psychic hotline
1/sˈaɪkɪk hˈɑtlˌaɪn/
fixed phrase
phone service for psychic readings
A phone service you can call and pay money to talk to a psychic.
Examples
- In the 1990s, psychic hotlines were advertised late at night on TV.
- He joked about calling a psychic hotline for stock tips.
- The company was fined for misleading customers on its psychic hotline.
psychic medium
1/sˈaɪkɪk mˈidiəm/
fixed phrase
psychic who talks to spirits
A psychic who says they can talk to the spirits of people who have died.
Examples
- We went to a psychic medium who claimed to pass on messages from our grandfather.
- The documentary follows a famous psychic medium during private readings.
- She works as a psychic medium and holds group sessions every weekend.
psychic powers
1/sˈaɪkɪk pˈaʊɚz/
fixed phrase
supernatural mental abilities
Special powers that are not physical, like reading minds or seeing the future.
Examples
- The hero in the comic has strong psychic powers.
- As a child, he believed his dreams were a sign of psychic powers.
- The show invites guests who say they have psychic powers.
psychic reading
1/sˈaɪkɪk ɹˈidɪŋ/
fixed phrase
session where a psychic advises you
A meeting where a psychic tells you about your life, problems, or future using supposed special powers.
Examples
- She booked a psychic reading to ask about her career.
- The advertisement offers free psychic readings over the phone.
- During the psychic reading, he was told he would travel abroad soon.