anhedonia

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UK/ˌan.hɪˈdəʊ.nɪə/US/ˌæn.hiˈdoʊ.ni.ə/

noun

The inability to feel pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable, such as exercise, hobbies, music, sexual activities or social interactions.

RareScrabble 13

Meanings

nounanhedonia (usually uncountable, plural anhedonias)

plural anhedonias

  1. uncountableusuallyhuman sciencesThe inability to feel pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable, such as exercise, hobbies, music, sexual activities or social interactions.

    Rather, Meehl suggests that anhedonia is a manifestation of the mixed signals to which the preschizophrenic individual is subjected because of the neurointegrative deficit.

    2012, R. R. J. Lewine, “Anhedonia and the Amotivational State of Schizophrenia”, in Andreas Marneros, Nancy C. Andreasen, Ming T. Tsuang, editors, Negative Versus Positive Schizophrenia, Springer, page 82
    3 more examples

    Prolonged seasickness will in most persons produce a temporary condition of anhedonia. Every good, terrestrial or celestial, is imagined only to be turned from with disgust.

    1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 146

    Secondly, the distinction between consummatory and anticipatory anhedonia [21] is not taken into account although these two anhedonias could play different role in the risk of suicide.

    2014, Gwenolé Loas, 11: Anhedonia and Risk of Suicide: An Overview, Michael S. Ritsner (editor), Anhedonia: A Comprehensive Handbook, Volume II, Springer, page 251

    Anhedonia is the reduced ability to experience pleasure from activities that were previously found to be enjoyable. Anhedonia can induce diminished motivation to engage in a potentially pleasurable activity (anticipatory anhedonia) and loss of the enjoyment experienced from the action itself (consummatory anhedonia).

    2020, Erin Trifilio, John B. Williamson, Kenneth M. Heilman, “Chapter 9: Changes in Emotions and Mood with Aging”, in Kenneth M. Heilman, Stephen E. Nadeau, editors, Cognitive Changes of the Aging Brain, Cambridge University Press, page 133

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀν-
  2. Frenchanhédonie
  3. Englishanhedonia

From French anhédonie (coined by Ribot, 1896), from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-) + ἡδονή (hēdonḗ, “pleasure”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan anhedonisme
  • anhedonismeinability to feel pleasure
Czech anhedonie
  • anhedonieinability to feel pleasure
Dutch anhedonie
  • anhedonieinability to feel pleasure
French anhédonie
  • anhédonieinability to feel pleasure
Greek ανηδονία
  • ανηδονία (anidonía)inability to feel pleasure
Icelandic vansæld
  • vansældinability to feel pleasure
Italian anedonia
  • anedoniainability to feel pleasure
Polish anhedonia
  • anhedoniainability to feel pleasure
Portuguese anedonia
  • anedoniainability to feel pleasure
Russian ангедония
  • ангедония (angedonija)inability to feel pleasure
Spanish anhedonia
  • anhedoniainability to feel pleasure
Swedish anhedoni
  • anhedoniinability to feel pleasure
Turkish anhedoni
  • anhedoniinability to feel pleasure
Ukrainian ангедо́нія
  • ангедо́нія (anhedónija)inability to feel pleasure

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

anhedonia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anhedonia

MLA

“anhedonia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anhedonia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anhedonia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anhedonia.

Source: anhedonia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.