as in onanistic
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Recent Examples of masturbatory
More than masturbatory daydreams, Vladimir inspires our heroine to write with abandon, ignoring professional and personal obligations in service to her muse.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Among the books being driven into the woods by pitchfork-wielding villagers this year: Louis C.K.’s masturbatory debut novel, Olivia Nuzzi’s delusional fortune cookie, Woody Allen’s autofictional kvetch-fest, and Kamala Harris’s 304-page excuse for ineptitude.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
Judging by trophy videos posted to Reddit, most users are training Ani to assist them in baroque masturbatory fantasies.
—Hari Kunzru, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Among the books being driven into the woods by pitchfork-wielding villagers this year: Louis C.K.’s masturbatory debut novel, Olivia Nuzzi’s delusional fortune cookie, Woody Allen’s autofictional kvetch-fest, and Kamala Harris’s 304-page excuse for ineptitude.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
Judging by trophy videos posted to Reddit, most users are training Ani to assist them in baroque masturbatory fantasies.
—Hari Kunzru, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masturbatory
Adjective
-
Likewise, the intensely retrograde gender politics—and the text’s out-of-control, onanistic eroticism—seem fairly personal and specific.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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With Sonja Tyspin’s cinematography imbuing an innocent, sensual curiosity, Kiyoko sweetly conveys the awkward thrill of fledgling emotions.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Life in Paris taught me to be less rigid and more sensual, and back home in Connecticut, my dad was changing, too.—
Courtney Maum,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Enthusiasts love it for its voluptuous beauty and buttery-smooth typing action.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Once mounted, the voluptuous nude body stands tall like a mountain against the pale wash of Sotheby’s London gallery.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Kate Fry, whose assignment here as Gretl requires a temporal transition from the coquettish and sensuous to a character rich with the moral authority of experience and an ability to judge the folly of others, is quite extraordinary.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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On two sensuous, R&B-leaning songs in the middle of the record, Káryyn’s newfound directness is reflected in her lyrics.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Life in the middle, utterly self-absorbed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
-
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s running gag as the celebrity everyone’s too self-absorbed to recognize, for example, exemplifies the film’s willingness to hold nothing sacred, with the actors invited to follow suit.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masturbatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masturbatory. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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