hedonism
noun
Donald Armstrong
Did you know?
The Modern Definition of Hedonism
When hedonism first appeared in English in the middle of the 19th century, it referred to the doctrines of certain schools of philosophy in ancient Greece (such as the Epicureans and Cyrenaics), who held that happiness or pleasure constituted the chief goal in life. As used today, the word frequently carries a judgmental tinge. If someone is described as living a life of hedonism, the implication is that he or she derives happiness from debauchery rather than, say, spending quality time with family or forming meaningful relationships at work. Hedonism comes from the Greek hēdonē (“pleasure”), which also provides the root of the word anhedonia (“a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts”).
Synonyms
Examples of hedonism in a Sentence
Pino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
But few could've made the impact McConaughey did in just a handful of scenes, especially the lunch meeting that introduced Belfort and the audience to a through-the-looking-glass world of hedonism.
—Jeff Labrecque, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2024
Many of us feel this internal tug-of-war on our Mediterranean journeys: hedonism versus curiosity.
—Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Watching from the bar was Carsten Höller, the contemporary artist recruited by Miuccia Prada to mastermind his third episode of Prada’s progressive experiment in creative hedonism.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Hendrix's wailing guitar can soundtrack Vietnam or Civil Rights protest footage or hippy hedonism and be equally at home with either.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Except Walker has more on her mind than just rites-of-spring-break hedonism.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024
The tragic history and rugged landscape provide an evocative backdrop – making hedonism on the Mani coast all the more hedonistic.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024
Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself about her first encounter with the mythical epicenter of American hedonism.
—Susan Young, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hedonism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hedonism
Cite this Entry
“Hedonism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hedonism. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hedonism
noun
Share