psychobabble

[sahy-koh-bab-uhl] / ˈsaɪ koʊˌbæb əl /

NOUN

rhetoric using psychological terms

Synonyms

STRONG

argot buzzword jargon patter self-help

WEAK

pop psych psychospeak

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It may sound like esoteric psychobabble, or an overemphasis on something that should be inherent in players.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2019

Biological theories of and treatments for the brain, notably drugs like Thorazine, lithium, Valium and Prozac, displaced Freudian psychobabble and transformed psychiatry into a truly scientific discipline.

From Scientific American • Aug. 3, 2019

Thank you for saying it, because someone had to punch a hole in the No Guilt balloon ethos of psychobabble.

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2017

Lyndsey portrayed herself as an empiricist who disdained New Age theories and psychobabble.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 19, 2016

We both expected Ms. Antilly to spew a bunch of psychobabble at us.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Vocabulary lists containing psychobabble

Body Language: Psych ("Mind")

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!