psychobabble

psychobabble

English

Wikiquote

Etymology

From psycho- +‎ babble.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsaɪkəʊbab(ə)l/
• Hyphenation: psy‧cho‧bab‧ble

Noun

psychobabble (uncountable)

1. The jargon of psychology and psychoanalysis, especially when regarded as trite or trivial. [from 20th c.]
   • 1977, "Psychobabble", Time, 3 Dec 1977:

     The psychological patter of the '70s is as inescapable as Muzak and just as numbing: Are you relating? Going through heavy changes? In touch with yourself and doing your own thing? Are you up front, or just hung up and uptight? Boston Writer R.D. (for Richard Dean) Rosen calls it psychobabble, and in his new book by that title (Atheneum, $8.95) sees America awash in soggy therapeutic clichés.

   • 2007, Max Brooks, "Saving Mel Brooks", Mens Health, 22.2:

     He didn't want to hear any new-age psychobabble, like " find your inner peace."

Verb

psychobabble (third-person singular simple present psychobabbles, present participle psychobabbling, simple past and past participle psychobabbled)

1. To speak this kind of jargon.

Derived terms

• psychobabbler