masochist

American  

[mas-uh-kist] / ˈmæs ə kɪst /

noun

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

• masochistic adjective

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal

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

“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

Cooper, 54, an Oakland biotech executive who has handled finance for a number of companies, including one that sold for $7 billion, isn’t a masochist, exactly.

From Los Angeles Times

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