Dorian Gray syndrome

noun

A cultural phenomenon characterized by a man's extreme pride in his personal appearance and the fitness of his physique, accompanied by difficulties in coping with physical aging and the requirements of psychological maturation.

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Meanings

nounDorian Gray syndrome (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA cultural phenomenon characterized by a man's extreme pride in his personal appearance and the fitness of his physique, accompanied by difficulties in coping with physical aging and the requirements of psychological maturation.

Origin

In reference to Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), describing a handsome young man who envies his own portrait and wishes that the portrait would age instead of himself.

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Cite this entry
APA

Dorian Gray syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dorian%20Gray%20syndrome

MLA

“Dorian Gray syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dorian%20Gray%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dorian Gray syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dorian%20Gray%20syndrome.

Source: Dorian Gray syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.