What does masochist mean?
A masochist is someone who derives sexual pleasure from pain, humiliation, or suffering. The term is most commonly used in psychology, sexology, literature, and discussions of sexual preference, where it identifies a person whose arousal is associated with receiving harm or degradation rather than inflicting it on someone else. It can also be used figuratively for a person who appears to enjoy discomfort, humiliation, or an unfairly harsh position, although this broader use may be dismissive or exaggerated. The word is derived from Count Leopold von Masoch, the nineteenth-century Austrian writer whose name became the basis of masochism and its related forms. In careful writing, masochist is best distinguished from sadist: the former takes pleasure in receiving pain or humiliation, while the latter takes pleasure in causing it.
nounA person who derives sexual pleasure from experiencing pain, humiliation, or suffering. More broadly, the term can refer to someone who enjoys being in a submissive or deliberately uncomfortable position.
- A person who derives sexual pleasure from experiencing pain, humiliation, or suffering.
"The novel portrays the character as a masochist who willingly submits to humiliation."
"The character is portrayed as a masochist who seeks out controlled humiliation."
"Psychologists use the term masochist in discussions of masochistic personality traits."
The standard plural is masochists, referring to multiple people who derive pleasure from pain or humiliation.
"The study compared the responses of masochists and sadists in carefully controlled situations."
The word masochist comes from the name of Count Leopold von Masoch, whose name became the lasting symbol of pleasure taken in suffering.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does masochist come from?
The word comes from the name of Leopold von Masoch, an Austrian-German writer of the nineteenth century. His name was adopted to form masochism, and masochist was later developed as the noun naming someone who experiences pleasure through pain or humiliation. The terms are internationally used in English and belong to the vocabulary of psychology and sexual behavior.
Related word forms
How masochist is actually used
In clinical and psychological contexts, it describes a person with a sexual preference for pain or humiliation. In general discussion, it may be used more broadly, but it can sound dramatic or stigmatizing when applied to someone who simply enjoys discomfort.
Easily confused with masochist
A masochist receives pleasure from pain or humiliation, whereas a sadist derives pleasure from inflicting pain or suffering on another person.