psych
“Psych!” (also spelled “sike”) means “just kidding” or “gotcha,” said right after you’ve fooled someone. It takes back whatever you just said.
What psych means
You tell a friend you got them front-row tickets. They scream. You say, “Psych!” Mean, but classic. Merriam-Webster defines it as a way to say a previous statement was false or facetious, or to signal playful deception.
Don’t mix it up with “psyched,” which means excited (“I’m so psyched for the game”), or “psych out,” which means to rattle or intimidate someone.
Examples
- “I finished the whole project. Psych! I haven’t started.”
- “Your flight’s canceled. Sike, it’s just delayed an hour.”
- “Free pizza in the break room! …Psych.”
Where it came from
The interjection grew out of the verb psych, as in psyching someone out: outguessing them or getting inside their head. Dictionary.com treats “sike” as a less common spelling and dates it to the early 2000s, though online it’s now everywhere.
Related terms
More throwback words are in our 90s slang guide.
Example sentence
“I’m quitting my job tomorrow. Psych!”
Similar words
just kidding, gotcha
Notes
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