Definition

1. Adjective (Hedonistic):

   • Describes a person, lifestyle, or philosophy that prioritizes the pursuit of pleasure and sensual enjoyment as the highest good in life.
   • Characterized by a focus on material comforts and physical delights.

2. Noun (Hedonism):

   • The ethical theory or way of life that advocates pleasure and happiness as the primary or most important intrinsic good.
   • Often implies a systematic pursuit of luxurious or sensual pleasures.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Anh ta có lối sống hưởng lạc, chỉ quan tâm đến tiệc tùng và du lịch. (He leads a hedonistic lifestyle, concerned only with parties and travel.)
  • Triết lý hưởng lạc đó không phù hợp với văn hóa truyền thống. (That hedonistic philosophy is not compatible with traditional culture.)

• Noun (often in the compound "chủ nghĩa hưởng lạc"):

  • Chủ nghĩa hưởng lạc cực đoan có thể dẫn đến sự trống rỗng tinh thần. (Extreme hedonism can lead to spiritual emptiness.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a slightly negative or critical connotation in Vietnamese, suggesting excessive, self-indulgent, or materialistic pleasure-seeking, as opposed to more refined or intellectual pursuits.
• It is frequently used in social or philosophical commentary to critique a perceived moral decline or materialistic attitude in society.

Variants and Related Words

• Chủ nghĩa hưởng lạc (n): Hedonism (the formal doctrine or "ism").

  • Bài báo phân tích ảnh hưởng của chủ nghĩa hưởng lạc trong xã hội hiện đại. (The article analyzes the influence of hedonism in modern society.)

• Tư tưởng hưởng lạc (n): Hedonistic thought/tendency.

  • Tư tưởng hưởng lạc đang len lỏi vào giới trẻ. (Hedonistic thought is creeping into the youth.)

Synonyms

• Pleasure-seeking: Actively looking for enjoyment.
• Self-indulgent: Allowing oneself to enjoy pleasures freely, often to excess.
• Sybaritic (literary): Fond of sensuous luxury or pleasure.
• Epicurean: (Can be similar but often implies a more refined taste in pleasure, especially in food and drink).

Related Idioms

• Sống gấp, hưởng thụ: To live fast and enjoy (the moment). This phrase captures the impulsive, pleasure-focused aspect of a attitude.
  • Giới trẻ thành thị có xu hướng sống gấp, hưởng thụ. (Urban youth tend to live fast and enjoy life.)

1. Hedonistic
   • Tư Tưởng hưởng lạc
     A hedonistic tendency.
2. (Chủ nghĩa hưởng lạc) Hedonism