noun
masochist
MA-suh-kihst
noun
1
A person who takes pleasure in their own pain, humiliation, or suffering.
"Only a masochist would volunteer for that shift twice in a row."
How to Use Masochist
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who enjoys or tolerates pain or unpleasantness, literally or as a figure of speech.
Common mistake
Often used loosely and humorously, e.g. "you'd have to be a masochist to enjoy this job," without any clinical meaning intended.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
masochists plural
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Only a _____ would volunteer for that shift twice in a row.
Etymology
Named after the author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch; the term was coined by Richard von Krafft-Ebing and later popularized through Freud's writing.