masochist

noun

mas·​och·​ist ˈma-sə-kist How to pronounce masochist (audio)
ˈma-zə-,
 also  ˈmā-
plural masochists
1
: a person who derives sexual gratification from being subjected to physical pain or humiliation : an individual given to masochism
But Ksenia is a masochist who cannot experience sexual pleasure without first experiencing extreme pain.Christopher Rice
2
: a person who takes pleasure in pain and suffering
… a select group of cops, bikers, bodybuilders and other masochists who thrive on the deprivation that exercising in unfiltered 110 degree heat produces.Allison Glock
Some mathematical masochist has calculated that the brain was adding 150 million brain cells every hundred thousand years, the sort of useless statistic beloved of a tourist guide.Matt Ridley

Examples of masochist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Great panic fodder for masochists.) TNR Newsletters. Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, 9 June 2023 In Banshees, McDonagh appears content to portray his two protagonists as, respectively, a senseless masochist and a senseless arsonist. Hazlitt, 17 May 2023 There is a sadist and a masochist in filmmakers. Peter Strickland Wants, Vulture, 26 June 2022 Mickelson, the apparent masochist, explained. Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2021 Gordon isn’t a masochist. Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2020 Bint Aamir was no masochist, but there’s a masochistic element to Zuhour’s ruminations. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022 Soccer fans have Who Are Ya?; Quordle is four times the fun; Crosswordle is a masochist’s dream. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022 The last thing any Bengals fan/chronicler/card-carrying masochist wants is to be Charlie Brown-ed. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 28 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'masochist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Masochist, from Leopold von Sacher-Masoch †1895 Austrian fiction writer and journalist + -ist -ist entry 1, after Masochismus masochism

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of masochist was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near masochist

Cite this Entry

“Masochist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masochist. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

masochist

noun
mas·​och·​ist -kəst How to pronounce masochist (audio)
: an individual who is given to masochism
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!