Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Language characterized by the often inaccurate use of jargon from psychiatry and psychotherapy: "Discussions ... sometimes ... consist of consciousness-raising psychobabble, with the students' feelings and experiences valued as much as anything the professor or texts have to offer” ( Karen Lehrman).
WordNet 3.0
- n. using language loaded with psychological terminology
Etymologies
- From psycho- + babble. (Wiktionary)
- Coined by Richard Dean Rosen (born 1949), American writer. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Self-esteem is, of course, a term in the modern lexicon of psychobabble, and psychobabble is itself the verbal expression of self-absorption without self-examination.”
““Self-esteem is, of course, a term in the modern lexicon of psychobabble, and psychobabble is itself the verbal expression of self-absorption without self-examination.””
““Self-esteem is, of course, a term in the modern lexicon of psychobabble, and psychobabble is itself the verbal expression of self-absorption without self-examination [3].””
“The whole “unfairness of a competent military force” routine psychobabble is presently being used on Israel, and the US is now getting the same treatment.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Drone Warfare and the Harvard National Security Conference
“Such things, of course, because of the innate prejudice and hypocrisy of the liberal press, never get mentioned, since, no doubt, they are merely expressing their inner selves or whatever psychobabble is currently in vogue.”
“Dr. Phil made an appearance on CNN this past Tuesday night and when asked his, "psychobabble" - opinion of Sarah Palin, he gave her a glowing image but stated he had not yet made up his mind as to who he will vote for.”
“All this may turn out to be mere psychobabble, which is what the Bush crowd dismissively concluded about Oliver Stone's film.”
“Oh, by the way, excuse me for engaging in what you would call psychobabble, but what I would call stating my feelings the best way I know how.”
“By 1977, Marlantes had completed a massive, first-person narrative, full, he says, of "psychobabble" and an unmediated bitterness that he's now embarrassed to contemplate.”
“MONROVIA, Liberia — A close aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton dismissed as "psychobabble" the fuss over the secretary of state's barbed response to a questioner ...”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘psychobabble’.
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psycho-
also psych- , psi- ; relating to the mind or psychology
psychometrics, psychobabble, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotropic, psionic, psychotherapy, psychotherapist, psycho, psychotic, psychoanalysis, psychosomatic and 2 more...
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seventhspice's Words
supine, distaff, lest, janissary, articulator, chaos, scrumptious, charlatan, alacrity, papyrus, corollary, funicular and 106 more...
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stpeter's Words
abase, abasement, abashed, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abhorrent, abide, abject, ablation, abnegation and 3536 more...
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Kaichi's Wordie Darlings, or I'm a Lo...
persnickety, discombobulated, braggadoccio, anthropomorphous, antelucan, confluxible, anomalous, poseur, gallivant, poppycock, falderal, gewgaw and 705 more...
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Morbidity
sickness (preferably of the brain)
morbidity, disease, malady, ailment, oneirophrenia, hysteria, dissociation, depersonalization, schizoaffective, neuropsychiatry, chronic, obsessive and 86 more...
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deceptive, erotic, harsh
From the Brooklyn Bridge to St. Petersburg /
In every boardroom or boudoir across the world /
From the Fall of Rome to the Renaissance /
Through Reformation, Cold War, Vietnam.headless, beast, bones, leftovers, warlike, groan, cannibal, gruesome, stench, war, carrion, cataclysm and 56 more...
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Cognitive
cognition, brainwork, psychobabble, thought, inane, perception, reckoning, delusion, vivid, surmise, quandary, derangement and 3 more...
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emk's Words
highbrow, despicable, marshmallow, kitten, ace, fitting, charm, plush, nauseating, cataclysmic, velveteen, rugged and 42 more...
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Miscellanea
Pretty words. Words I really, really like.
causerie, persiflage, prickmedainty, chanteuse, menstruum, deliquesce, coruscant, umber, radiatrix, zoopsia, diamanté, desex and 50 more...
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hannahk's list
Tweets
Looking for tweets for psychobabble.
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