Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The deriving of sexual gratification, or the tendency to derive sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused.
- n. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from being humiliated or mistreated, either by another or by oneself.
- n. A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A form of sexual perversion in which the victim craves, and takes pleasure in, physical abuse from one of the other sex: the opposite of sadism.
Wiktionary
WordNet 3.0
- n. sexual pleasure obtained from receiving punishment (physical or psychological)
Etymologies
- Named after Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose novel "Venus in Furs" explores a sadomasochistic relationship. (Wiktionary)
- After Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836-1895), Austrian novelist. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“I don't think masochism is quite the word I'd use for Twilight, but I think both Bella and Edward are dislikable characters; Bella's weak and Edward's just plain unfriendly.”
“To try to open one of these monstrosities is an exercise in masochism — hurriedly I discard them with the dispatch with which one would thrust away a venomous snake.”
“When you hear the word masochism, you probably think of whips and chains and the like.”
“This has lead me to be far less judgemental of lots of other people’s positions (no matter how wrong I believe them to be) but despite my best efforts I can’t work out the appeal in masochism, AFL (possibly related) and how some people are prepared to deliberately & consiously screw over someone else for what are relatively small ammounts of coin.”
“As an anthropological experiment/exercise in masochism, I dragged my husband and some pals to see Bride Wars on opening night earlier this year and I’m still scarred.”
Amy Adams 'Leap Year' trailer: More than just another witless rom-com? Or...not? | EW.com
“But this really is an exercise in masochism more than anything else, so how about Boone’s Pina Colada with almond joy?”
Halloween candy: impossible food-wine pairing?!? | Dr Vino's wine blog
“He seems interested only in characters who project a certain kind of masochism, and misogyny.”
“I can't tell if this is the result of some kind of masochism or an unshakable feeling that staying "informed" is my duty as a citizen.”
The Huffington Post: Tanya Schevitz: Josh Radnor Connects to Life Old School Style
“E.g.: "masochism" is not the same thing, but of course, as "submission"...”
“First, a new generation of Japanese without personal memories of the war are revolting against what they see as the "masochism" of institutionalized self-reproach and U. S.-imposed pacifism.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘masochism’.
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-ism's -logies
acosmism, absurdism, absolutism, ableism, aestheticism, alarmism, allotheism, anachronism, animalculism, analogism, animatism, animism and 464 more...
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Serendipity's Words
defenestration, mercurial, syzygy, wicked, iniquitous, metastable, demimonde, entropic, ephemeral, irreligious, frisbee, manifold and 474 more...
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generationnext's Words
petulant, vehement, pensive, lascivious, vacillate, histrionic, satiated, svelte, lithe, zeitgeist, viscous, sommelier and 526 more...
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dyy's Words
ambivalence, irony, double-edged sword, paradox, struggle, plunge, buoy, pigeon-hole, ultimately, status quo, fuel, undermine and 230 more...
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Vocab++
Words as I learn them.
fetid, mezzanine, hiatus, austerity, subliminal, resplendent, implacable, impugn, debase, exiguous, cirque, holster and 2538 more...
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Let's talk about sex
A collection of words about doing the nasty.
prurient, odalisque, soubrette, gravid, lochia, xenogamy, syngamy, zygote, pintle, hexaploid, seminal, hetaera and 232 more...
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sexual feelings
words describing the sexual parts of life
snog, shag, copulate, intercourse, paraphilia, carnal, fetish, fornicate, abstinence, foreplay, coitus, chastity and 119 more...
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wordsmithing part deux
because wordsmith is not a verb.
enmity, incarnate, chignon, nape, solitude, nocturne, decorum, warren, svelte, interstice, serene, charlotte and 488 more...
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lucidityprevails's Words
lucidity, journalistic, truthiness, foolhardy, egotism, lesbian, orgasmic, activism, moonglow, voodoo, conquer, demolish and 534 more...
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Lingoooo
incantation, strident, vivacious, objective, fundamentalist, infallible, vicarious, tautology, solipsism, scanty, totalitarian, masochism and 46 more...
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Mike
M
malefaction, metonymy, malapropism, mawkish, morpheme, mercantile, moxie, mellifluous, memorat, mugwump, minatory, mendacious and 25 more...
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bianxie's list
cruel, asphyxiate, merciless, mercy, masochism, sadism, osculate, loquacious, vehement, pinnacle, rough, macabre and 77 more...
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Russo Vocab Test
ostracize, innumerable, chiffonier, qualm, compulsory, sadism, masochism, falsetto, liberate, rile, pacifist, unscrupulous and 56 more...
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Sex
Words pertaining to sex.
homoerotic, autoerotic, sadism, masochism, sadomasochism, lesbian, gay, queer, orgasmic, orgasm, fornicate, fornication and 16 more...
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sighlence's Words
smolder, concupiscence, apothecary, parchment, inky, disintegration, porcelain, leather, flicker, willow, osier, sidereal and 52 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for masochism.
Prolagus The masochist: Please, hit me!
The sadist: No. Oct 11, 2008
chained_bear Or Dean Friedman:
Cuz my credo and my -ism is
Sado-masochism... Sep 15, 2008
asativum As immortalized by the immortal Tom Lehrer in his Masochism Tango:
I ache for the touch of your lips, dear,
But much more for the touch of your whips, dear. Sep 15, 2008