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.

---

Other Word Forms

• masochistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of masochistic

masoch(ism) + -istic

Example Sentences

That was important to us, is that she’d still be funny or have that sense of humor, like that’s her masochistic side.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 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

Or are we seeing, perhaps, a kind of masochistic admiration for the bully?

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2024

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

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