hedonist

American  

[heed-n-ist] / ˈhid n ɪst /

noun

1. a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification.

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adjective

1. Also hedonistic of, relating to, or characteristic of a hedonist or hedonism.

Other Word Forms

• hedonistically adverb
• nonhedonistic adjective
• nonhedonistically adverb
• unhedonistic adjective
• unhedonistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of hedonist

First recorded in 1855–60; hedonism, -ist

Explanation

Your parents might want to visit the museum while you want to hike in the forest, but your brother, the hedonist, just wants to lounge by the hotel pool and eat cake. A hedonist values sensual pleasure above all else. Hedonist comes from the Greek word hedone "pleasure" and is related to hedys, which means "sweet." Although this noun did not make its first appearance until 1822, the word was created as a reference to an ancient Greek philosophical system known as the Cyrenaic school. The Cyrenaics taught that pleasure — particularly physical pleasure — is the greatest good. If you need some examples of modern day hedonists, think the many celebrities today who are only famous for going to parties.

Example Sentences

Sold in a shiny glass bottle and advertised on TV, immortality has been commodified in the hedonist dystopia of “Divinity,” the startling new film from writer-director Eddie Alcazar.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Unfortunately, I'm a hedonist and decided to serve this pasta with a zesty puttanesca made with lots of garlic, anchovies, San Marzano tomatoes, and capers.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2023

For a hedonist, pleasure is good and pain is bad, and for this reason they can serve as principles for determining well-being.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Mr Bennett defended himself in a Facebook post on Sunday, declaring that such spending had "dramatically decreased" during his premiership and that "attempts to present me as a hedonist are simply funny".

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2022

Felix knew being called a hedonist wasn't a compliment.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty