1 anhedonia | Definition of anhedonia

anhedonia

noun
an·​he·​do·​nia | \ ˌan-(ˌ)hē-ˈdō-nē-ə How to pronounce anhedonia (audio) , -nyə\

Definition of anhedonia

: a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts

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Other Words from anhedonia

anhedonic \ -​ˈdä-​nik How to pronounce anhedonic (audio) \ adjective

Examples of anhedonia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another type dampens reward networks, robbing a person of the ability to feel pleasure, a depression symptom called anhedonia. Emily Underwood, Science | AAAS, "Brain scans could help personalize treatment for people who are depressed or suicidal," 20 Aug. 2019 Chronic-pain patients typically also suffer from anhedonia—the inability to experience pleasure—and research suggests that their brains’ reward systems are wired slightly differently from those in other brains. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, "The Neuroscience of Pain," 9 May 2016 How was the anhedonia hypothesis overturned, and when? Angela Chen, The Verge, "Please stop calling dopamine the ‘pleasure chemical’," 27 Mar. 2018 Nolan has confused his native island with the anhedonia in his head. Christian Lorentzen, New Republic, "Dunkirk Manages to Make War Boring," 25 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anhedonia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of anhedonia

1887, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for anhedonia

New Latin, from a- entry 2 + Greek hēdonē pleasure — more at hedonism

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More Definitions for anhedonia

anhedonia

noun
an·​he·​do·​nia | \ ˌan-hē-ˈdō-nē-ə How to pronounce anhedonia (audio) \

Medical Definition of anhedonia

: a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in acts which normally produce it — compare analgesia

Other Words from anhedonia

anhedonic \ -​ˈdän-​ik How to pronounce anhedonic (audio) \ adjective
anhedonic noun

More from Merriam-Webster on anhedonia

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with anhedonia