psychedelic

1 of 2

noun

psy·​che·​del·​ic ˌsī-kə-ˈde-lik How to pronounce psychedelic (audio)
: a psychedelic drug (such as LSD)

psychedelic

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of, relating to, or being drugs (such as LSD) capable of producing abnormal psychic effects (such as hallucinations) and sometimes psychotic states
b
: produced by or associated with the use of psychedelic drugs
a psychedelic experience
2
: imitating, suggestive of, or reproducing effects (such as distorted or bizarre images or sounds) resembling those produced by psychedelic drugs
psychedelic color schemes
3
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or being the period of the mid- to late-1960's that is associated with the psychedelic drug culture
psychedelic rock
the psychedelic era/movement
… the "rainbow newspaper" of San Francisco that burst onto the psychedelic scene in 1966 …—Don Lattin
… speaking of stereotypes, the illustrations reject any hint of a '60s psychedelic style …—Steven Heller
psychedelically
ˌsī-kə-ˈde-li-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce psychedelic (audio)
adverb

Did you know?

The most famous--or notorious--of the psychedelic drugs is LSD, a compound that can be obtained from various mushrooms and other fungi but is usually created in the lab. The other well-known psychedelics are psilocybin (likewise obtained from fungi) and mescaline (obtained from peyote cactus). How psychedelics produce their effects is still fairly mysterious, partly because research ceased for almost 20 years because of their reputation, but scientists are determined to find the answers and much research is now under way. Psychedelics are now used to treat anxiety in patients with cancer, and are being tested in the treatment of such serious conditions as severe depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction.

Examples of psychedelic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In Massachusetts, voters were weighing a ballot measure that would legalize the possession and supervised use of natural psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms. —David A. Lieb, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024 And in Massachusetts, where medical and recreational marijuana is already legal, voters will be weighing in on the possibility of legalizing psychedelics. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Cosmic country troupe Beachwood Sparks, whose new album, Across the River of Stars, will tickle most of your psychedelic synapses. —Jason Pettigrew, SPIN, 21 Nov. 2024 Changing the name to Levitation also gave the fest an opportunity to branch out from solely psychedelic music. —Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for psychedelic 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

irregular from psych- + Greek dēloun to show, from dēlos evident; akin to Sanskrit dīdeti it shines, Latin dies day — more at deity

First Known Use

Noun

1956, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychedelic was in 1956

Phrases Containing psychedelic

Dictionary Entries Near psychedelic

psychedelia

psychedelic

Psyche knot

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Psychedelic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychedelic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

psychedelic

1 of 2 adjective
psy·​che·​del·​ic ˌsī-kə-ˈdel-ik How to pronounce psychedelic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being a drug (as LSD) that produces abnormal often extreme mental effects (as hallucinations)
2
a
: imitating the effects of psychedelic drugs
b
: glowing brightly

psychedelic

2 of 2 noun
: a psychedelic drug

Medical Definition

psychedelic

1 of 2 noun
psy·​che·​del·​ic ˌsī-kə-ˈdel-ik How to pronounce psychedelic (audio)
: a psychedelic drug (as LSD)

psychedelic

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or being drugs (as LSD) capable of producing abnormal psychic effects (as hallucinations) and sometimes psychotic states
2
: produced by or associated with the use of psychedelic drugs
a psychedelic experience
psychedelically
-ˈdel-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce psychedelic (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on psychedelic

Nglish: Translation of psychedelic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of psychedelic for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...