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masochism

[ mas-uh-kiz-uhm, maz- ]
/ ˈmæs əˌkɪz əm, ˈmæz- /
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See synonyms for: masochism / masochisms on Thesaurus.com

noun
Psychiatry. the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering physical pain or humiliation.
gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one's own actions or the actions of others, especially the tendency to seek this form of gratification.
the act of turning one's destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself.
the tendency to find pleasure in self-denial, submissiveness, etc.
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Origin of masochism

1890–95; named after L. von Sacher-Masoch, who described it; see -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM masochism

mas·och·ist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use masochism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for masochism

masochism
/ (ˈmæsəˌkɪzəm) /

noun
psychiatry an abnormal condition in which pleasure, esp sexual pleasure, is derived from pain or from humiliation, domination, etc, by another person
psychoanal the directing towards oneself of any destructive tendencies
a tendency to take pleasure from one's own sufferingCompare sadism

Derived forms of masochism

masochist, noun, adjectivemasochistic, adjectivemasochistically, adverb

Word Origin for masochism

C19: named after Leopold von Sacher Masoch (1836–95), Austrian novelist, who described it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for masochism

masochism
[ (mas-uh-kiz-uhm) ]

Abnormal behavior characterized by deriving sexual gratification from being subjected to pain. More loosely, masochism refers to deriving any pleasure from experiencing pain. (Compare sadism.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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