psychedelic

Sometimes psy·cho·del·ic

[sahy-ki-del-ik]

adjective

1. of or noting a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations and by extreme feelings of either euphoria or despair.

   LSD users seek the psychedelic properties of the drug, including heightened sensory experiences.

2. of, relating to, or noting any of various drugs producing this state, such as LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin.

   Researchers have long been interested in the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs for humans.

3. characterized by images, sounds, or feelings resembling those experienced while in the altered state produced by psychedelic drugs: The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

   Their music had a dreamy psychedelic sound, with gentle guitars and hushed vocals.

   The psychedelic designs of music posters in the 60s were inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s.

noun

1. a psychedelic drug.

   The clinic will start treating patients with ketamine, a psychedelic.

2. Rare.,  a person who uses such a substance.

psychedelic

/ ˌsaɪkɪˈdɛlɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or denoting new or altered perceptions or sensory experiences, as through the use of hallucinogenic drugs

2. denoting any of the drugs, esp LSD, that produce these effects

3. informal,  (of painting, fabric design, etc) having the vivid colours and complex patterns popularly associated with the visual effects of psychedelic states

psychedelic

1. A descriptive term for things that produce or are related to hallucinations, especially drugs such as LSD.

Psychedelic art, most popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s, combines patterns, objects, light, and sound to simulate hallucinatory experiences.

Other Word Forms

• psychedelically adverb
• prepsychedelic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

First recorded in 1956; from psyche + Greek dêl(os) “visible, manifest, evident” + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychedelic¹

C20: from _psyche + Greek delos visible

Example Sentences

Madonna's Ray Of Light, written after the birth of her daughter Lourdes, eschewed her brash 1980s persona for a more spiritual, psychedelic sound.

From BBC

He had previously studied classical guitar and would go on to note his love of country and the heavier end of psychedelic rock music.

From BBC

Regulation of psilocybin — the “magic” substance in psychedelic mushrooms — has been a hot-button issue for Californians in recent years, but repeated attempts by state lawmakers to allow medical use of the substance have floundered.

From Los Angeles Times

A Big Bear man was arrested last week for allegedly operating an illegal psychedelic mushroom business out of a church in Big Bear Lake, according to authorities.

From Los Angeles Times

But what really made Brown see himself clearly was the time he and Bathé partook in the psychedelic ayahuasca at a Costa Rica dispensary.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hallucinatory 
• kaleidoscopic 
• multicolored