noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/ˈmæs.ə.kɪ.zəm/
UK, US:/ˈmæz.ə.kɪ.zəm/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:M AE1 S AH0 K IH0 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The (often sexual) enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
sexual pleasure obtained from receiving punishment (physical or psychological)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sexual pleasure
Narrower terms: sadomasochism
History
Etymology
From German Masochismus, coined alongside Sadismus in 1886 by Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his book Psychopathia Sexualis. Named after Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose novel "Venus in Furs" explores a sadomasochistic relationship, + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Abkhaz:
ахьаабзиабара
(axjaabzjabara)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Abkhaz:
амазохизм
(amazoxizm)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Arabic:
مَاسُوشِيَّة
(māsūšiyya)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Arabic:
مَازُوخِيَّة
(māzūḵiyya)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Arabic:
مَازُوكِيَّة
(māzūkiyya)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Arabic:
خُضُوعِيَّة
(ḵuḍūʕiyya)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Armenian:
մազոխիզմ
(mazoxizm)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Asturian:
masoquismu
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Belarusian:
мазахі́зм
(mazaxízm)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Catalan:
masoquisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Chinese Mandarin:
性受虐狂
(xìngshòunüèkuáng)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Chinese Mandarin:
受虐狂
(shòunüèkuáng)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Chinese Mandarin:
受虐癖
(shòunüèpǐ)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Czech:
masochismus
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Danish:
masochisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Dutch:
masochisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Esperanto:
masoĥismo
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Estonian:
masohhism
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Finnish:
masokismi
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
French:
masochisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Georgian:
მაზოხიზმი
(mazoxizmi)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
German:
Masochismus
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Greek:
μαζοχισμός
(mazochismós)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Hindi:
स्वपीड़न
(svapīṛan)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Hindi:
स्वपीड़न रति
(svapīṛan rati)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Hungarian:
mazochizmus
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Indonesian:
masokhisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Italian:
masochismo
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Japanese:
マゾヒズム
(mazohizumu)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Latvian:
mazohisms
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Malay:
kemasokisan
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Malay:
masokisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Norwegian:
masokisme
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Persian:
مازوخیسم
(mâzoxism)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Polish:
masochizm
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Portuguese:
masoquismo
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Russian:
мазохи́зм
(mazoxízm)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Serbo-Croatian:
mazohizam
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Spanish:
masoquismo
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Swedish:
masochism
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Tagalog:
masokismo
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Turkish:
mazoşizm
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Turkish:
mazoşistlik
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Turkish:
özezerlik
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Ukrainian:
мазохі́зм
(mazoxízm)
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
Vietnamese:
khổ dâm
— the enjoyment of receiving pain or humiliation
