masochism
n. the derivation of pleasure from experiencing pain and humiliation. The term generally denotes sexual masochism but is also applied to experiences not involving sex, such as martyrdom, religious flagellation, or asceticism. In classical psychoanalytic theory, masochism is interpreted as resulting from the death instinct or from aggression turned inward because of excessive guilt feelings. [Leopold Sacher Masoch (1835–1895), Austrian writer]
—masochist
n.
—masochistic
adj.