psychological moment
1
8.4
- noun
:
momento psicológico
- The coach knew it was the right psychological moment to motivate the team.
Examples
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He waited for the psychological moment to reveal his plan to the group.
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The coach spoke to the players at the psychological moment to motivate them before the game.
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She chose the psychological moment to ask for a raise, knowing her boss was in a good mood.
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She waited for the perfect psychological moment to make her proposal.
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The team waited too long to make their move, and they lost the psychological moment to take control of the game.
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She realized that the psychological moment to propose her idea had come when everyone was in a positive mood.
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Understanding the psychological moment can greatly enhance your chances of success in negotiations.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A very short time or a particular point in time
511
2.7
Choosing the best time for something to happen to get a good result
47
6.6
A time when an important decision must be made
How Opportune
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'psychological' (relating to mental state) and 'moment' (a point or time) can reasonably infer this refers to a time when mental or emotional factors make action opportune, so the meaning is derivable from the parts. However, the link is somewhat abstract/metaphorical—understanding that 'psychological' here implies readiness or receptivity requires pragmatic inference beyond literal composition, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
The phrase psychological moment comes from the idea of waiting until people's minds are ready, like a speaker who waits until the crowd is quiet and listening. So a psychological moment means 'the best time' to act to get the result you want.