psychopath
Conscience-free individual
A psychopath is a person with a personality disorder marked by lack of empathy, shallow emotions, manipulativeness, and disregard for others' rights.
The term is clinical in origin but now appears loosely in everyday speech for anyone who seems coldly calculating or dangerously unfeeling: My ex was a complete psychopath.
Psychopathic behavior may include charm and deception alongside cruelty.
The related term sociopath is often used interchangeably, though some distinguish between them based on origin or presentation.
Frightening imaginary creature
- freakAbnormal deviation from typical
- creepStealthy, slow movement
- sickoSlang for deranged person
- lunaticDeranged or irrational person
maniac · nutcase · madman · deviant · fiend · demon · evil · twisted
One who causes death
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
- serial killerRecurring lone murderer
- sadisticFinding pleasure in cruelty
brutal · savage · vicious · ruthless · aggressive · dangerous · violent · bloodthirsty
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- deceitfulInclined to mislead others
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
conniving · guileful · crafty · sly · coercive · insidious · charming · glib
antisocial personality disorder
Persistent exploitation and remorselessness
- disorderAbsence of organization
- pathologyStudy of disease processes
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
- psychiatryMental health medicine
neuroscience · impulsivity · aggression · empathy deficit · dysfunction · maladaptive · cognition · neurological
- JokerGotham's chaos-loving nemesis
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- villainWicked story antagonist
Patrick Bateman · Norman Bates · monster · slasher · cinematic · antagonist · American Psycho · Silence of the Lambs
Low temperature state
- callousCruelly insensitive to others
- unfeelingWithout compassion or emotion
- heartlessLacking pity or mercy
- remorselessLacking guilt or pity
unemotional · detached · indifferent · apathetic · impassive · numb · unsympathetic · dispassionate
monster
Frightening imaginary creature
lunatic · maniac · nutcase · madman · deviant · fiend · demon · evil · twisted · deranged
killer
One who causes death
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
- serial killerRecurring lone murderer
sadistic · brutal · savage · vicious · ruthless · aggressive · dangerous · violent · bloodthirsty · cruel
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- deceitfulInclined to mislead others
exploitative · conniving · guileful · crafty · sly · coercive · insidious · charming · glib · persuasive
antisocial personality disorder
Persistent exploitation and remorselessness
- disorderAbsence of organization
- pathologyStudy of disease processes
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
psychiatry · neuroscience · impulsivity · aggression · empathy deficit · dysfunction · maladaptive · cognition · neurological · affective
Hannibal Lecter
- JokerGotham's chaos-loving nemesis
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
Patrick Bateman · Norman Bates · villain · monster · slasher · cinematic · antagonist · American Psycho · Silence of the Lambs · Ted Bundy
cold
Low temperature state
- callousCruelly insensitive to others
- unfeelingWithout compassion or emotion
- heartlessLacking pity or mercy
remorseless · unemotional · detached · indifferent · apathetic · impassive · numb · unsympathetic · dispassionate · aloof
- dangersdanger, peril, hazard, risk, menace
- criminal psychologycriminal mind, motive, intent, premeditation, profiling
- antisocialantisocial personality, hostile, unfriendly, antagonistic, aggressive
- mental healthpsychiatry, psychotherapy, mental illness, psychiatrist, therapist
- personalitypersonality, trait, temperament, traits, character
- thrillerssuspense, thriller, nail-biter, page-turner, cliffhanger
psychopathempath
One who absorbs emotions
saint · bleeding heart · mensch · humanitarian · altruist
psychopathaltruist
Selfless benefactor of others
philanthropist · Good Samaritan · humanitarian · do-gooder · saint