psychologize
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
IPA: //saɪˈkɒlədʒaɪz//
KK: /saɪˈkɑlədʒaɪz/
intransitive verb
Definition
To think or talk about something in a way that relates to psychology, often analyzing thoughts and behaviors.
Example
During the discussion, she began to psychologize about his motivations for leaving the job.
Tense Forms
Past: psychologized
Past Participle: psychologized
Conversation
I sometimes wonder why people act the way they do.
Yeah, it's interesting to psychologize their behaviors.
Exactly! I like trying to understand their motives.
It can be really enlightening to look at things that way.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
analyze
interpret
explain
Antonyms
ignore
dismiss
neglect
transitive verb
Definition
To explain someone's behavior or actions using ideas from psychology.
Example
The therapist tried to psychologize the patient's reactions to stress.
Tense Forms
Past: psychologized
Past Participle: psychologized
Conversation
Have you ever thought about why people act the way they do?
Yeah, I guess it’s interesting to psychologize their behavior sometimes.
Right? It can really help us understand their motivations better.
Root Explanation
Psychologize → It is formed from "psyche" (from Greek "psukhē", meaning soul or mind) and "-logize" (from Greek "logia", meaning to speak or reason). The word means to speak or reason about the mind or soul.
Memory Tip
Think of 'psyche' as relating to the mind and 'logize' as speaking about it — that's why psychologize means to discuss or analyze mental processes.
Visually Confused Words
mycologize