sadist
Enjoys inflicting pain
A sadist derives pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.
The term originated with the Marquis de Sade, whose novels depicted sexual gratification through cruelty.
In clinical contexts, sadism describes a paraphilia involving arousal from another's distress.
More loosely, sadist describes anyone who seems to enjoy others' discomfort: My gym teacher was a sadist who made us run in the rain.
Supreme authority held
- subjugationForcing into submission
- controlAuthority to direct
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- oppressorOne who dominates cruelly
tyrant · tormentor · persecutor · abuser · bully · intimidation · coercion · humiliation
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- brutalitySavage, merciless behavior
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
- inflictionAct of causing suffering
suffering · pain · viciousness · savagery · barbarity · mercilessness · pitilessness · heartlessness
Pleasure derived from suffering
- psychopathyEmpathy-absent personality disorder
- sociopathyPathological absence of conscience
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- schadenfreudeDelight in others' misfortune
depravity · perversion · antisocial · pathology · paraphilia · deviance · gratification · compulsion
Erotic power dynamics
- sadomasochismErotic pain-giving and receiving
- dominatrixFemale BDSM leader
- domBDSM authority figure
- subFill-in worker
dungeon · bondage · discipline · restraint · consent · safe word · leather · whip
domination
Supreme authority held
- subjugationForcing into submission
- controlAuthority to direct
- powerEnergy transfer rate
oppressor · tyrant · tormentor · persecutor · abuser · bully · intimidation · coercion · humiliation · degradation
torture
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- brutalitySavage, merciless behavior
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
infliction · suffering · pain · viciousness · savagery · barbarity · mercilessness · pitilessness · heartlessness · callousness
masochism
Pleasure derived from suffering
- psychopathyEmpathy-absent personality disorder
- sociopathyPathological absence of conscience
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
schadenfreude · depravity · perversion · antisocial · pathology · paraphilia · deviance · gratification · compulsion · dysfunction
BDSM
Erotic power dynamics
- sadomasochismErotic pain-giving and receiving
- dominatrixFemale BDSM leader
- domBDSM authority figure
sub · dungeon · bondage · discipline · restraint · consent · safe word · leather · whip · paddle
- bulliesbully, intimidator, tormentor, tormenter, harasser
- tormentorstormentor, tormenter, torturer, torturers, persecutor
- villainsvillain, antagonists, Darth Vader, evil characters, Joker
- attackersaggressor, assailant, attacker, assaulter, ambusher
- abusersabuser, batterer, beater, brutalizer, bully
sadistcomforter
Quilted bed covering
caregiver · healer · nurturer · humanitarian · altruist
sadistsaint
Canonized holy person
angel · altruist · benefactor · philanthropist · almsgiver