masturbatory

adjective

mas·​tur·​ba·​to·​ry ˈma-stər-bə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce masturbatory (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or involving masturbation
masturbatory fantasies
2
: excessively self-absorbed or self-indulgent
write tedious, masturbatory books … about themselves for people to read … with envyD. R. Katz

Examples of masturbatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bardo for being masturbatory and self-pitying, Empire of Light for being shallow and unfocused. Vulture, 24 Jan. 2023 Strickland, responding to a question from Tolley about the oddest thing he’d been asked to endorse, recalls being approached by the manufacturer of a masturbatory aid. Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2022 And this use was a selling point, not a secret, during an era of anti-masturbatory rhetoric. Kim Adams, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2020 However, charity golf tournaments tend to be a woefully inefficient and exceptionally masturbatory way of trying to raise funds. Gary Gramling, SI.com, 21 Oct. 2017 Alfredo Castro plays a 50-year-old in Caracas who pays young men for their company (and masturbatory inspiration). Anita Gates, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2016

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of masturbatory was in 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Masturbatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masturbatory. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

masturbatory

adjective
mas·​tur·​ba·​to·​ry ˈmas-tər-bə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce masturbatory (audio)
: of, relating to, or associated with masturbation
masturbatory fantasies

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