Sadismus

[zaˈdɪsmʊs]

/[zaˈdɪsmʊs]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Sadismus” is uncommon German (frequency #67,649 among 107,600 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,649
frequency rank, German
107,600
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - das Vergnügen, jemandem Leid zuzufügen

Key facts for Sadismus
PropertyValue
HeadwordSadismus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[zaˈdɪsmʊs]
Letters8
Frequency rank#67,649
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Sadismus” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Sadismus lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Sadismus is uncommon German at frequency #67,649 among 107,600 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [zaˈdɪsmʊs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "das Vergnügen, jemandem Leid zuzufügen".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Sadismus, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Sadismus, spelled S-A-D-I-S-M-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    das Vergnügen, jemandem Leid zuzufügen

Antonyms

Masochismus

This word in other languages

sadism(English)sadisme(Français)sadismo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Sadismus"?
"Sadismus" is spelled S-A-D-I-S-M-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [zaˈdɪsmʊs].
What does "Sadismus" mean?
As a noun, "Sadismus" means: das Vergnügen, jemandem Leid zuzufügen
How do you pronounce "Sadismus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Sadismus" is [zaˈdɪsmʊs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Sadismus" come from?
"Sadismus" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Sadismus”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is S-A-D-I-S-M-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [zaˈdɪsmʊs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list