Hedonist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛdənɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who believes that the pursuit and enjoyment of pleasure is the highest good and primary aim of life
2. someone who prioritizes sensory gratification and physical enjoyment above moral or social obligations
3. a person centered on maximizing personal pleasure and satisfaction as their fundamental life philosophy

Etymology: The Greek word "hēdonē" meant "pleasure," and it is the root of a whole family of English words, from "hedonism" to "hedonic." "Hedonist" itself is a straightforward construction: the Greek noun was combined with the English suffix "-ist," which marks someone who follows or practises something. A hedonist, then, is literally one who lives by pleasure. The Greek root has a deeper history of its own. It traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root, "*sweh₂d-," meaning "sweet," which also gave rise to words for sweetness and taste in several other languages. So the idea of sensory delight was built into the word from the start, linked to the sweetness of food. The suffix's route into English ran through Latin and Old French, where the Greek-derived "-iste" pattern had already spread widely, before reaching Middle English as "-ist." Writers then attached it to Greek and Latin stems as needed, and "hedonist" follows that pattern.

Synonyms: pleasure-seeker, sensualist, epicurean

Antonyms: ascetic, self-denier