Make Your Point > Archived Issues > HEDONISTIC
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pronounce
HEDONISTIC:
Say it "HE duh NISS tick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
"Jambi, the chocolate sauce!"
"Let us cavort like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean."
That's Hedonismbot, from Futurama. With a body that reclines like a chaise longue, he's literally built for a life of indulgence and pleasure.
That's what hedonism is all about. If your lifestyle or attitude is hedonistic, it revolves around indulgence and pleasure.
What if, instead, your attitude is altruistic? What does your life revolve around, in that case?
What if it's solipsistic?
What if it's eristic?
Is there a good, precise adjective that best describes your own attitude or lifestyle?
(If you're not sure about the meaning of those underlined words, give them a click.)
definition:
The Greek word for "pleasure or enjoyment," hēdone, gave us our English word "hedonism," meaning "the belief that pleasure is the best, most important, most ethical thing in life."
So, hedonists are people who pursue pleasure as the main goal in their lives. And hedonistic things and people are the kind that constantly seek pleasure, as if pleasure is the only thing that matters.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "their hedonistic appetites;" "Their lifestyle is hedonistic."
Other common forms:
Hedonism, hedonist(s), hedonistically.
If you prefer a shorter adjective than "hedonistic," you can use "hedonic." Say it "hih DON ick."
how to use it:
"Hedonistic" is a formal, semi-common word that almost always sounds like a harsh criticism.
That is, if you describe people and their behaviors, habits, lifestyles, and luxuries as hedonistic, you're probably slamming them for being selfish and self-indulgent.
But you can certainly use this word for light humor and exaggeration: "Let's go somewhere hedonistic for dinner. Golden Corral?"
examples:
"Baia was the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire, a hedonistic vacation town of villas and spas."
— David Plotz, Time, 27 January 2015
"From the shape of a handle to the contour of a wall, even the most hedonistic super-yacht is, at the end of the day, a vehicle."
— Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, 31 December 2014
has this page helped you understand "hedonistic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "hedonistic" without saying "obsessively pleasure-seeking" or "constantly self-indulgent."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "It's fun to read about the hedonistic excesses of (some person's life, or some culture or subculture), like _____."
Example: "It's fun to read about the hedonistic excesses of pop superstars, like what they demand from venues. Reportedly, Madonna requires 'rare pink and white roses with stems cut to six inches, 20 international phone lines, and a chef preparing vegan food.'"
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for September is Solve the Square!
It's inspired by Squareword, which is like Wordle but in 3D. In each issue this month, find the 5-letter word that completes the square, creating words both horizontally and vertically. For a bonus point, define the word you've supplied. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
S
P
A
S
M
C
E
L
L
O
A
D
I
E
U
_
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_
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S
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review this word:
A. SELF-EFFACING: calling no attention to yourself.
B. SELF-ABNEGATORY: denying yourself what you desire.
C. SELF-APPLAUDING: proud and congratulatory of yourself.
2.
A Redditor advertised his retreat in the game RimWorld as "hedonistic," featuring "_____."
A. wine, mead, psychite tea, and opium
B. flowers, meadows, ponies, and soft rains
C. cannons, flaming arrows, and a trebuchet
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The Greek word for "pleasure or enjoyment," hēdone, gave us our English word "hedonism," meaning "the belief that pleasure is the best, most important, most ethical thing in life."
Part of speech:
"Hedonistic" is a formal, semi-common word that almost always sounds like a harsh criticism.
"Baia was the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire, a hedonistic vacation town of villas and spas."
Explain the meaning of "hedonistic" without saying "obsessively pleasure-seeking" or "constantly self-indulgent."
Fill in the blanks: "It's fun to read about the hedonistic excesses of (some person's life, or some culture or subculture), like _____."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |