Algolagnia
/ˌælɡoʊˈlæɡniə/noun
Sexual pleasure associated with experiencing or inflicting pain.
Did you know?The term was formed from Greek roots in 19th-century sexology, when physicians were creating specialized vocabulary to classify unusual forms of sexual desire.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄλγος (álgos)
“Pain, distress, or bodily suffering”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαγνεία (lagneía)
“Lust or sexual desire”
19th Century
German
Algolagnie
“A technical term combining pain with sexual desire”
1892
English
algolagnia
“Sexual pleasure associated with pain, recorded in modern sexological vocabulary”
Modern English
English
algolagnia
“Sexual arousal or pleasure linked to pain, whether experienced or inflicted”
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