anhedonia

See also: anhedonią

English

WOTD – 18 July 2008

Etymology

From French anhédonie (coined by Ribot, 1896), from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-) + ἡδονή (hēdonḗ, “pleasure”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌan.hɪˈdəʊ.nɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæn.hiˈdoʊ.ni.ə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

anhedonia (usually uncountable, plural anhedonias)

1. (medicine, psychiatry) The inability to feel pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable, such as exercise, hobbies, music, sexual activities or social interactions.
   • 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 146:

     Prolonged seasickness will in most persons produce a temporary condition of anhedonia. Every good, terrestrial or celestial, is imagined only to be turned from with disgust.

   • 2012, R. R. J. Lewine, “Anhedonia and the Amotivational State of Schizophrenia”, in Andreas Marneros, Nancy C. Andreasen, Ming T. Tsuang, editors, Negative Versus Positive Schizophrenia, Springer, page 82:

     Rather, Meehl suggests that anhedonia is a manifestation of the mixed signals to which the preschizophrenic individual is subjected because of the neurointegrative deficit.

   • 2014, Gwenolé Loas, 11: Anhedonia and Risk of Suicide: An Overview, Michael S. Ritsner (editor), Anhedonia: A Comprehensive Handbook, Volume II, Springer, page 251:

     Secondly, the distinction between consummatory and anticipatory anhedonia [21] is not taken into account although these two anhedonias could play different role^[sic] in the risk of suicide.

   • 2020, Erin Trifilio, John B. Williamson, Kenneth M. Heilman, “Chapter 9: Changes in Emotions and Mood with Aging”, in Kenneth M. Heilman, Stephen E. Nadeau, editors, Cognitive Changes of the Aging Brain, Cambridge University Press, page 133:

     Anhedonia is the reduced ability to experience pleasure from activities that were previously found to be enjoyable. Anhedonia can induce diminished motivation to engage in a potentially pleasurable activity (anticipatory anhedonia) and loss of the enjoyment experienced from the action itself (consummatory anhedonia).

Derived terms

• anhedonic
• anhedonism
• anticipatory anhedonia
• consummatory anhedonia

Translations

inability to feel pleasure

• Catalan: anhedonisme m
• Czech: anhedonie f
• Dutch: anhedonie (nl)
• French: anhédonie (fr) f
• Greek: ανηδονία (el) f (anidonía)
• Icelandic: vansæld f
• Italian: anedonia (it) f
• Polish: anhedonia (pl) f
• Portuguese: anedonia (pt) f
• Russian: ангедония (ru) f (angedonija)
• Spanish: anhedonia (es) f
• Swedish: anhedoni (sv) c
• Turkish: anhedoni
• Ukrainian: ангедо́нія f (anhedónija)

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see French anhédonie).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑnhedoniɑ/, [ˈɑ̝nhe̞ˌdo̞niɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -oniɑ
• Syllabification^(key): an‧he‧do‧ni‧a
• Hyphenation^(key): an‧he‧do‧nia

Noun

anhedonia

1. (medicine, psychiatry) anhedonia

Declension

Inflection of anhedonia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		anhedonia	anhedoniat
genitive		anhedonian	anhedonioiden anhedonioitten
partitive		anhedoniaa	anhedonioita
illative		anhedoniaan	anhedonioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		anhedonia	anhedoniat
accusative	nom.	anhedonia	anhedoniat
	gen.	anhedonian
genitive		anhedonian	anhedonioiden anhedonioitten anhedoniain rare
partitive		anhedoniaa	anhedonioita
inessive		anhedoniassa	anhedonioissa
elative		anhedoniasta	anhedonioista
illative		anhedoniaan	anhedonioihin
adessive		anhedonialla	anhedonioilla
ablative		anhedonialta	anhedonioilta
allative		anhedonialle	anhedonioille
essive		anhedoniana	anhedonioina
translative		anhedoniaksi	anhedonioiksi
abessive		anhedoniatta	anhedonioitta
instructive		—	anhedonioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of anhedonia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative anhedoniani anhedoniani accusative nom. anhedoniani anhedoniani gen. anhedoniani genitive anhedoniani anhedonioideni anhedonioitteni anhedoniaini rare partitive anhedoniaani anhedonioitani inessive anhedoniassani anhedonioissani elative anhedoniastani anhedonioistani illative anhedoniaani anhedonioihini adessive anhedoniallani anhedonioillani ablative anhedonialtani anhedonioiltani allative anhedonialleni anhedonioilleni essive anhedonianani anhedonioinani translative anhedoniakseni anhedonioikseni abessive anhedoniattani anhedonioittani instructive — — comitative — anhedonioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative anhedoniasi anhedoniasi accusative nom. anhedoniasi anhedoniasi gen. anhedoniasi genitive anhedoniasi anhedonioidesi anhedonioittesi anhedoniaisi rare partitive anhedoniaasi anhedonioitasi inessive anhedoniassasi anhedonioissasi elative anhedoniastasi anhedonioistasi illative anhedoniaasi anhedonioihisi adessive anhedoniallasi anhedonioillasi ablative anhedonialtasi anhedonioiltasi allative anhedoniallesi anhedonioillesi essive anhedonianasi anhedonioinasi translative anhedoniaksesi anhedonioiksesi abessive anhedoniattasi anhedonioittasi instructive — — comitative — anhedonioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative anhedoniamme anhedoniamme accusative nom. anhedoniamme anhedoniamme gen. anhedoniamme genitive anhedoniamme anhedonioidemme anhedonioittemme anhedoniaimme rare partitive anhedoniaamme anhedonioitamme inessive anhedoniassamme anhedonioissamme elative anhedoniastamme anhedonioistamme illative anhedoniaamme anhedonioihimme adessive anhedoniallamme anhedonioillamme ablative anhedonialtamme anhedonioiltamme allative anhedoniallemme anhedonioillemme essive anhedonianamme anhedonioinamme translative anhedoniaksemme anhedonioiksemme abessive anhedoniattamme anhedonioittamme instructive — — comitative — anhedonioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative anhedonianne anhedonianne accusative nom. anhedonianne anhedonianne gen. anhedonianne genitive anhedonianne anhedonioidenne anhedonioittenne anhedoniainne rare partitive anhedoniaanne anhedonioitanne inessive anhedoniassanne anhedonioissanne elative anhedoniastanne anhedonioistanne illative anhedoniaanne anhedonioihinne adessive anhedoniallanne anhedonioillanne ablative anhedonialtanne anhedonioiltanne allative anhedoniallenne anhedonioillenne essive anhedoniananne anhedonioinanne translative anhedoniaksenne anhedonioiksenne abessive anhedoniattanne anhedonioittanne instructive — — comitative — anhedonioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative anhedoniansa anhedoniansa accusative nom. anhedoniansa anhedoniansa gen. anhedoniansa genitive anhedoniansa anhedonioidensa anhedonioittensa anhedoniainsa rare partitive anhedoniaansa anhedonioitaan anhedonioitansa inessive anhedoniassaan anhedoniassansa anhedonioissaan anhedonioissansa elative anhedoniastaan anhedoniastansa anhedonioistaan anhedonioistansa illative anhedoniaansa anhedonioihinsa adessive anhedoniallaan anhedoniallansa anhedonioillaan anhedonioillansa ablative anhedonialtaan anhedonialtansa anhedonioiltaan anhedonioiltansa allative anhedonialleen anhedoniallensa anhedonioilleen anhedonioillensa essive anhedonianaan anhedonianansa anhedonioinaan anhedonioinansa translative anhedoniakseen anhedoniaksensa anhedonioikseen anhedonioiksensa abessive anhedoniattaan anhedoniattansa anhedonioittaan anhedonioittansa instructive — — comitative — anhedonioineen anhedonioinensa

Further reading

• “anhedonia”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

French anhédoniebor.

Polish anhedonia

Borrowed from French anhédonie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aŋ.xɛˈdɔɲ.ja/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɲja
• Syllabification: an‧he‧don‧ia

Noun

anhedonia f

1. (medicine, psychiatry) anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable, such as exercise, hobbies, music, sexual activities, or social interactions)

Declension

Declension of anhedonia

	singular
nominative	anhedonia
genitive	anhedonii
dative	anhedonii
accusative	anhedonię
instrumental	anhedonią
locative	anhedonii
vocative	anhedonio

Further reading

• “anhedonia”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “anhedonia”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French anhédonie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aneˈdonja/ [a.neˈð̞o.nja]
• Rhymes: -onja
• Syllabification: an‧he‧do‧nia

Noun

anhedonia f (plural anhedonias)

1. (medicine, psychiatry) anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure)

Further reading

• “anhedonia”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025