Meanings
nounhedonism (usually uncountable, plural hedonisms)
plural hedonisms
- uncountableusuallyethicsThe philosophical belief that prioritizes happiness, particularly sensual pleasure as the highest good in life.
It began with his shrugging off of both family and faith and taking the Amtrak Vermonter out of Penn Station to major in minor hedonism and minor in the major modernists at a hippie college in the great Jewless north.
2020 April 24, Jeremy M. Davies, “No Sleep till Auschwitz”, in The Baffler, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2020 - countableusuallyA general devotion to the pursuit of pleasure.
Synonyms: Cyrenaicism · Antonyms: asceticism
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sweh₂d-
- Ancient Greekἡδονή (hēdonḗ)
- Englishhedonism
From Ancient Greek ἡδονή (hēdonḗ, “pleasure”) + English -ism. First attested in 1856.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἡδονισμός
- ἡδονισμός (hēdonismós)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Arabic مَذْهَب اَللِّذَّة
- مَذْهَب اَللِّذَّة (maḏhab al-liḏḏa)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Catalan hedonisme
- hedonismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Chinese Mandarin 享樂主義 /享乐主义, 享樂主義 /享乐主义
- 享樂主義 /享乐主义 (xiǎnglè zhǔyì)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- 享樂主義 /享乐主义 (xiǎnglèzhǔyì)devotion to the pursuit of pleasure
Czech hédonismus, hedonismus
- hédonismusphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- hedonismusphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Danish hedonisme
- hedonismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Dutch hedonisme, genotzucht
- hedonismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- genotzuchtphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- epicurismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Esperanto hedonismo
- hedonismophilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Estonian hedonism
- hedonismphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Finnish hedonismi, hedonismi
- hedonismiphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- hedonismidevotion to the pursuit of pleasure
French hédonisme
- hédonismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
German Hedonismus, Genußsucht
- Hedonismusphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- Genußsuchtdevotion to the pursuit of pleasure
- Genusssuchtdevotion to the pursuit of pleasure
Greek ηδονισμός
- ηδονισμός (idonismós)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Hebrew הֶדוֹנִיזְם
- הֶדוֹנִיזְם (hedonism)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Hungarian hedonizmus, hedonizmus
- hedonizmusphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- hedonizmusdevotion to the pursuit of pleasure
Icelandic hedónismi
- hedónismiphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Irish héadónachas
- héadónachasphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Italian edonismo
- edonismophilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Japanese 快楽主義
- 快楽主義 (kairakushugi)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Latin hēdonismus
- hēdonismusphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Norwegian Bokmål hedonisme
- hedonismephilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Polish hedonizm
- hedonizmphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Portuguese hedonismo
- hedonismophilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Romanian hedonism
- hedonismphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Russian гедони́зм
- гедони́зм (gedonízm)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Spanish hedonismo
- hedonismophilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Swedish hedonism
- hedonismphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Thai สุขนิยม
- สุขนิยมphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Turkish hedonizm, hazcılık
- hedonizmphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- hazcılıkphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Ukrainian гедоні́зм
- гедоні́зм (hedonízm)philosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
Welsh hedoniaeth, pleseryddiaeth
- hedoniaethphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- pleseryddiaethphilosophical belief that prioritizes pleasure as the highest value
- hedoniaethdevotion to the pursuit of pleasure
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
hedonism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hedonism
MLA
“hedonism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hedonism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hedonism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hedonism.
Source: hedonism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.