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masochism
[ mas-uh-kiz-uhm, maz- ]
/ ˈmæs əˌkɪz əm, ˈmæz- /
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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, nounWords nearby masochism
masking frame, masking piece, masking tape, maskinonge, maslin, masochism, masochist, masochistic, mason, mason bee, Mason City
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, adverbWord 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.