anhedonia
noun
an·he·do·nia
ˌan-(ˌ)hē-ˈdō-nē-ə 
-nyə
: a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts
Examples of anhedonia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cleveland Clinic describes anhedonia as the inability to experience joy or pleasure, often showing up as numbness or reduced interest in things once enjoyed.
—
Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
She was prescribed oxycodone, and while on the medication, battled depression, anhedonia and suicidal ideation.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Advertisement On social media, people describe suffering from a range of side effects after experimenting with unapproved peptides, including migraines, weakness, depression, nausea and vomiting, and anhedonia, a condition in which people stop being able to experience joy or pleasure.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
But studies of musical anhedonia also had a broader significance.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
But others report side effects like full-body itchiness, intense anxiety, or anhedonia.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
But the markets’ resiliency over the past month indicates a more all-encompassing anhedonia.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
What made people with specific musical anhedonia different from the two other groups was how the different regions in the brain communicated with each other.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Reduced dopamine activity is commonly seen in people suffering from major depressive disorder, particularly in cases involving anhedonia, a condition marked by the inability to feel pleasure even when mood symptoms improve.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
She was prescribed oxycodone, and while on the medication, battled depression, anhedonia and suicidal ideation.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Advertisement On social media, people describe suffering from a range of side effects after experimenting with unapproved peptides, including migraines, weakness, depression, nausea and vomiting, and anhedonia, a condition in which people stop being able to experience joy or pleasure.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
But studies of musical anhedonia also had a broader significance.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
But others report side effects like full-body itchiness, intense anxiety, or anhedonia.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
But the markets’ resiliency over the past month indicates a more all-encompassing anhedonia.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
What made people with specific musical anhedonia different from the two other groups was how the different regions in the brain communicated with each other.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Reduced dopamine activity is commonly seen in people suffering from major depressive disorder, particularly in cases involving anhedonia, a condition marked by the inability to feel pleasure even when mood symptoms improve.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anhedonia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anhedonia. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
anhedonia
noun
an·he·do·nia
ˌan-hē-ˈdō-nē-ə
: a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in acts which normally produce it compare analgesia
anhedonic
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
