masochism
masochism Lexical Profile
masochism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The enjoyment of an activity or situation that appears to be painful, exhausting, or tiresome.
"Taking on three grueling marathon races in a single month seemed like pure masochism to his friends."
The tendency to derive sexual gratification from one's own physical pain or humiliation.
"The textbook on abnormal psychology examined the historical classification of masochism and sadism."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'masochism' (deriving pleasure from one's own pain or humiliation) with 'sadism' (deriving pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliation on others).
• Rhymes for masochism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century by Austrian psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing, named after the Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836–1895), whose novels frequently depicted the pleasure of submitting to pain and humiliation.