Other Word Forms
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Etymology
Origin of hedonic
First recorded in 1650–60; Greek hēdonikós “pleasurable,” from hēdon(ḗ) “pleasure” + -ikos -ic; see also sweet
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Psychologists call this hedonic adaptation: the tendency to absorb improvements into our baseline until they no longer feel like gains.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
The BLS also tries to identify price changes by controlling for improvements in product quality for a lot of goods—including computers, internet access, phone plans, and cars—through a process called hedonic price adjustment.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
He explained that to younger people like his students, collecting and renting DVDs is a way “to be able to slow down and get off this hedonic treadmill of ‘where’s my next stimulus coming from.’”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Psychologists differentiate between two aspects of happiness: "hedonic wellbeing," related to emotional experiences, and "eudemonic wellbeing," which concerns meaning and purpose in life.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024
Pleasure and pain, i.e. hedonic sensation per se, are essentially distinct from appetition and aversion; the pleasures of hearing music or enjoying sunshine are not in general accompanied by any volitional activity.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
