1
as in spirits
an immaterial force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power
disturbing, enigmatic paintings that seem to embody the psyche of this brilliant but troubled artist
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minds
the part of a person that feels, thinks, perceives, wills, and especially reasons
a novel that explores the psyche of a depressed teen
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Recent Examples of psyches
The ban might deliver some truly valuable benefits, letting youthful missteps remain local and ephemeral, rather than searing permanent brands onto developing psyches, and giving young people more time to develop the in-person social skills and connections that make life meaningful.
—
Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
The format flourished in the middle of the 20th century, in books by Daphne du Maurier and movies like Gaslight, mirroring the psyches of women who’d been empowered to run the homefront during World War II, then married into suburban cages.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
While snow days can be magical and warming your hands around a firepit after an afternoon of ice skating or sledding is fun, the long stretches of cold, gray weather can take a definite toll on our psyches.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
The sometimes unbearable suspense of wondering what will happen next can propel even the most mediocre thriller movies forward, and the best ones can use that tension to also probe deep into the psyches of our protagonists.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Most importantly, into our children’s psyches.
—Jessica Shyba, SELF, 19 Dec. 2025
It’s still burned into their psyches.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
The novella lacks the temporal markers that indicate how much time has passed between episodes and exhibits an abundance of characters with ruptured psyches.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Nobody cared about our psyches and so, so much stuff flew under the radar.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
The format flourished in the middle of the 20th century, in books by Daphne du Maurier and movies like Gaslight, mirroring the psyches of women who’d been empowered to run the homefront during World War II, then married into suburban cages.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
While snow days can be magical and warming your hands around a firepit after an afternoon of ice skating or sledding is fun, the long stretches of cold, gray weather can take a definite toll on our psyches.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
The sometimes unbearable suspense of wondering what will happen next can propel even the most mediocre thriller movies forward, and the best ones can use that tension to also probe deep into the psyches of our protagonists.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Most importantly, into our children’s psyches.
—Jessica Shyba, SELF, 19 Dec. 2025
It’s still burned into their psyches.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
The novella lacks the temporal markers that indicate how much time has passed between episodes and exhibits an abundance of characters with ruptured psyches.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Nobody cared about our psyches and so, so much stuff flew under the radar.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for psyches
Noun
-
To see him in such high spirits, seemingly not dampened by being rested for the final half-hour as Chelsea continue to manage his minutes, was a rare treat.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Some readers may be old enough to remember the 1976 Bicentennial, which occurred during one of the city’s lowest ebbs and lifted everyone’s spirits.—
John Calvelli,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The characters are mostly idealized, the action is predictable, and its core conflicts derivative of those in the minds of most American teenagers in the middle of the 20th century.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
-
July 23 – August 22 Hearts can open wider when minds connect.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But tens of thousands of films are made each year, and quite a few of them break the rules, defy conventional narrative expectations and smack us deep in our souls.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The world must stand with the people of Iran before more of our bravest souls are lost.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But there are plenty of brains in that brain trust, from Spoelstra to Pat Riley to Andy Elisburg to Adam Simon to Eric Amsler to Keith Askins to Nick Arison to Micky Arison.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
More than 90% of the 376 former NFL players’ brains studied were identified as having this degenerative disease, which is strongly associated with dementia.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While the likes of Philo and Trotter have expanded upon the idea by prioritizing people whose intellects align with their brand values, Jacquemus takes it to another level.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Psyches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psyches. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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