Definition of "anhedonia"

Sometimes it is mere passive joylessness and dreariness, discouragement, dejection, lack of taste and zest and spring. Professor Ribot has proposed the name anhedonia to designate this condition.

1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society, published 2008, page 123

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

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

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

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

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) .

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