sadism
Psychiatry. the condition in which sexual gratification depends on causing pain or degradation to others.: Compare masochism.
any enjoyment in being cruel.
extreme cruelty.
Origin of sadism
1Other words from sadism
- sadist, noun, adjective
- sa·dis·tic [suh-dis-tik, sey-, sa-], /səˈdɪs tɪk, seɪ-, sæ-/, adjective
Words Nearby sadism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sadism in a sentence
Speaking out about his portrayal of Maar, Picasso revealed, “For years I gave her a tortured appearance, not out of sadism, and without any pleasure on my part, but in obedience to a vision that had imposed itself on me.”
When you research wars, for example, you find that most soldiers didn’t fight in the name of sadism or some kind of ideology—they just didn’t want to let their friends down.
Dodson’s adventures in Don Draper-land are a welcome antidote to the all-too-vivid sadism of the serial killer loose in Coronado Springs.
Joe Ide’s IQ series continues with the idiosyncratic marvel ‘Smoke’ | Maureen Corrigan | February 26, 2021 | Washington PostJulian Fellowes can save his show by offing the target of his sadism.
Just Kill Mr. Bates Already! How to Save ‘Downton Abbey’ | Andrew Romano | February 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTObama processes his sadism to the point where he gets somewhat more acceptable.
Obama Has a Mean Streak and He Turned It on Romney This Week | Lloyd Grove | May 26, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The over-reaction, the lack of professionalism, the random sadism of this boggles the mind.
But the existence of sadism is a part of the human condition that is both universal and universally hard to acknowledge.
But we must confront our sadism to protect ourselves from it.
sadism, as we know, played a prominent part in both the French and Russian revolutions.
Secret Societies And Subversive Movements | Nesta H. WebsterI suspect that under many of our professed principles there lurk elements of unconscious sadism and masochism.
The Behavior of Crowds | Everett Dean MartinThus in a great many quite famous works of art there will be found an element of sadism.
The Complex Vision | John Cowper Powyssadism is for a long time restrained by fear, education or moral sentiments.
The Sexual Question | August Forelsadism appears to be most often an effect of hereditary alcoholic blastophthoria.
The Sexual Question | August Forel
British Dictionary definitions for sadism
/ (ˈseɪdɪzəm, ˈsæ-) /
the gaining of pleasure or sexual gratification from the infliction of pain and mental suffering on another person: See also algolagnia Compare masochism
Origin of sadism
1Derived forms of sadism
- sadist, noun
- sadistic (səˈdɪstɪk), adjective
- sadistically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for sadism
[ (say-diz-uhm, sad-iz-uhm) ]
Abnormal behavior characterized by deriving sexual gratification from inflicting pain on others. More loosely, sadism refers to deriving any pleasure from inflicting pain. Named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author of the eighteenth century, whose works describe many sexual perversities.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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