Meaning & use

masochist

noun·Advanced

A person who derives pleasure, often sexual, from experiencing pain or humiliation.

See it in a sentence

Only a true masochist would enjoy running a marathon in freezing rain.

The psychologist studied why a masochist might seek out uncomfortable or painful situations.

A note on using this word

Masochist is often used loosely and jokingly to describe anyone who seems to enjoy an unpleasant task, not only in its clinical sense.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

sadist

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