Other Word Forms
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.
"Conversely, the sweeter milk chocolate scent acts more like a hedonic reward cue, enhancing training volume by creating a highly pleasant sensory environment rather than by shifting basic metabolic hunger signals."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
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
Then, whereas Freud explains the subjective side of the comic purely on hedonic principles, Bergson sees in it an important social function.
From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various
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