masochistic

American  

[mas-uh-kis-tik, maz‑] / ˌmæs əˈkɪs tɪk, ˌmæz‑ /

adjective

1. Psychiatry. having a condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering, physical pain, and humiliation.

2. gratified by pain, degradation, deprivation, etc., inflicted on oneself either by one's own actions or the actions of others.

3. tending to be self-destructive.

4. tending to find pleasure in self-denial, submissiveness, degradation, etc.

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Other Word Forms

• masochistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of masochistic

masoch(ism) + -istic

Explanation

If you call someone masochistic, you are implying that they get pleasure from pain. Masochistic might be a good adjective to describe your friends who view participating in an Ironman Triathlon as their idea of a good time. In the early 19th century, an individual with the last name Sacher-Masoch had some deviant, or abnormal, thoughts regarding sexuality. His name became the German noun Masochismus and, eventually, the English adjective masochistic. Sometimes masochistic is used incorrectly or as slang to refer to someone who just does something mean, as in "taking the wings off of flies is masochistic," implying that the person enjoys the pain of another, when the word really is specific to the person receiving pain. (It's a sadistic person who enjoys inflicting pain on someone else.)

Example Sentences

That’s line-cook joy, kitchen–brigade joy — a very specific, slightly masochistic ecstasy that tends to belong to people who’ve burned off their fingerprints on sauté pans.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

And he has excellent material in Prefontaine: The runner’s mane of long hair and Hollywood looks made him a crowd-pleaser; his borderline masochistic drive made him a winner.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2025

If you’re an author who happens to be a glutton for punishment or, worse, an insomniac — or, disaster scenario: both — you might be familiar with a certain masochistic feedback loop.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2023

Still, something about these shows conveys a sort of masochistic pleasure, a desire to put you through the ringer, or maybe make you reach for a tranquilizer.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023

Glendale, the team we had lost to, got hitter, masochistic attention on the roadrunner with scores in foot-high numerals, as they continued to win and move through the tournament.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli