masochist

American  

[mas-uh-kist] / ˈmæs ə kɪst /

noun

• masochists
  plural

1. Psychiatry. a person who has masochism, the condition in which sexual or other gratification depends on one's suffering physical pain or humiliation.

2. a person who is gratified by pain, degradation, etc., that is self-imposed or imposed by others.

3. a person who finds pleasure in self-denial, submissiveness, etc.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• masochistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• masochists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of masochist

First recorded in 1890–1900; masoch(ism) + -ist

Compare meaning

How does masochist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sadist vs. masochist

Explanation

If you call someone a masochist, you either mean that they take pleasure in pain, or — perhaps more commonly — that they just seem to. Masochism is an eponym — a word named for a person. Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian writer in the nineteenth century who described the gratification he got from his own pain and humiliation. There are many self-proclaimed masochists out there today — and, one would have to imagine, at least as many sadists, those who enjoy inflicting pain on others (from the name of the Marquis de Sade). But these days you're most likely to hear the word used jokingly by someone who doesn't understand another's motivations for doing something painful or difficult: "You're still building that stone wall? What are you, some kind of masochist?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masochist masochists

Adopting pets in the winter of their lives seemed like a quick heartbreak only a masochist would want, I argued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

But if you are a masochist and insist on watching, certain things are guaranteed in every state-of-the-disunion speech, and Tuesday’s will be no exception.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026

“Spoken like a true masochist, I’m even looking forward to the disagreements, because I think we’re in a moment that we’re being tested in our ability to tolerate each other more through differences.”

From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2024

Call me a masochist, but what I most loved about Rebecca Gilman’s devastating play was that it tapped into multiple registers of despair: individual, communal, ecological.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2023

“Or maybe I’m a masochist and I like girls who are as annoying as hell! Don’t try to analyze me, Jenna. I am what I am.”

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

As the YouTube hit demonstrates, hot sauce isn’t just for daredevils and masochists: It’s a truth serum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

I would feign shock or dismay at its popularity if I didn’t already know that we are a nation of self-serving masochists.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2025

But there were still at least 4 million masochists for whom the first leaders’ debate was an essential warm-up to I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 19, 2019

This is as if the masochists running the bar exam or the National Spelling Bee had invaded the national pastime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2019

I found no listing for those who fear they know too many masochists.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris