What is another word for sadism?

Pronunciation: [sˈe͡ɪdɪzəm] (IPA)

Sadism is a term that refers to a person's enjoyment in causing pain or suffering to others. However, there are several synonyms that can be used to describe different aspects or situations related to sadism. For instance, cruelty refers to a person's willingness to inflict pain or suffering, whereas aggression refers to a tendency to act out violently towards others. Meanwhile, malevolence refers to a person's desire to harm others out of malice, and meanness refers to a personality trait that enjoys hurting others. Whatever the synonym used, it alludes to an unpleasant disposition that derives pleasure from causing pain or suffering for others, and is considered aberrant behaviour.

Synonyms for Sadism:

What are the hypernyms for Sadism?

A hypernym is a word with a broad meaning that encompasses more specific words called hyponyms.

What are the hyponyms for Sadism?

Hyponyms are more specific words categorized under a broader term, known as a hypernym.

What are the opposite words for sadism?

Sadism is defined as deriving pleasure from causing pain, suffering or humiliation to others. Its antonyms are quite varied and opposite in nature. The first antonym is benevolence, which is a state of being kind, humane, and charitable towards others. The second antonym is empathy, which is understanding and sharing the feelings of others. The third antonym is compassion, which is a feeling of deep sympathy and understanding for others. The fourth antonym is love, which is an intense feeling of affection and devotion towards someone. The fifth antonym is generosity, which is the act of giving to others without expecting anything in return. These antonyms show that there are positive emotions associated with human behavior that are the opposite of sadism.

Usage examples for Sadism

So a masculinoid personality in woman will make for sadism, a feminoid personality in a man for masochism.
"The Glands Regulating Personality"
Louis Berman, M.D.
They suspend their better moral judgement and succumb to his whims and to the brutal and vulgar aspects of his pervasive dishonesty and sadism.
"Moral Deliberations in Modern Cinema"
Sam Vaknin
sadism, as we know, played a prominent part in both the French and Russian revolutions.
"Secret Societies And Subversive Movements"
Nesta H. Webster

Famous quotes with Sadism

  • Skepticism is the sadism of embittered souls.
    Emile M. Cioran
  • The aim of sadism is to transform a man into a thng, something animate into something inanimate, since by complete and absolute control the living loses one essential quality of life-freedom.
    Erich Fromm
  • In jail a man has no personality. He is a minor disposal problem and a few entries on reports. Nobody cares who loves or hates him, what he looks like, what he did with his life. Nobody reacts to him unless he gives trouble. Nobody abuses him. All that is asked of him is that he go quietly to the right cell and remain quiet when he gets there. There is nothing to fight against, nothing to be mad at. The jailers are quiet men without animosity or sadism. All this stuff you read about men yelling and screaming, beating against the bars, running spoons along them, guards rushing in with clubs -- all that is for the big house. A good jail is one of the quietest places in the world. Life in jail is in suspension.
    Raymond Chandler
  • To divide people into sadists and masochists is almost as foolish as dividing them into eaters and digesters. In all cases one must disregard abnormalities; after all, there are people who are better at digesting than they are at eating and vice versa. As regards masochism and sadism, it is safe to say that a healthy person displays both perversities. The only ugly thing in each case is the word. The one derived from the novelist Leopold von Sacher-Masoch is particularly degrading, and it is hard not to let one's taste for things be spoiled by the designation. Nevertheless, a man with an artistic imagination will manage to let an authentic woman turn him into a masochist and an inauthentic one into a sadist. One knocks the latter's educated unnaturalness out of her until the woman is revealed. If she already is a woman, the only thing left to do is adore her.
    Karl Kraus
  • Nothing is further from sadism, for example, than the cheerful, optimistic mentality of a Shaw or Wells.
    Colin Wilson

Related words: masochism, sadomasochism, sadist, masochist, bondage, S&M, whipping

Related questions:

  • What is sadism?
  • What is masochism?
  • What is sadomasochism?
  • What is a sadist?
  • What is a masochist?
  • What is bondage?
  • What is s&m?
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