self-defeating
adjective
self-de·feat·ing
ˌself-di-ˈfē-tiŋ 
-dē-
: serving or tending to defeat oneself or itself : counterproductive: such as
a
: acting to defeat its own purpose
a self-defeating argument
You kind of realize that violence can be a self-defeating strategy, because it just gives the other guy an incentive to attack you back in revenge.—
Stephen Pinker
Stephen Pinker
b
: being or involving an attitude of defeatism
Procrastinators tend to be more stressed than other people—even before they start procrastinating. According to a recent study, that's possibly because they have self-defeating thoughts like, "I'm simply too stupid to benefit from more studying, so I'll just hang out on Facebook."—Shana Lebowitz
Shana LebowitzExamples of self-defeating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many therapists now prioritize validation over challenging patients to face hard truths and change self-defeating behaviors.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Jon Hamm, April 12 Hamm, hosting for the fourth time, was spot-on with turns as a self-defeating game show contestant and a police officer obsessed with pizza.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Audiences — especially those with children of their own — may have a tough time dealing with Rebecca’s self-defeating behavior, which springs from a place of panic.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 May 2025
This culminated in a dramatic and self-defeating reversal of Pope Benedict’s lifting of the ban on the Traditional Latin Mass.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
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Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Jon Hamm, April 12 Hamm, hosting for the fourth time, was spot-on with turns as a self-defeating game show contestant and a police officer obsessed with pizza.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Audiences — especially those with children of their own — may have a tough time dealing with Rebecca’s self-defeating behavior, which springs from a place of panic.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 May 2025
This culminated in a dramatic and self-defeating reversal of Pope Benedict’s lifting of the ban on the Traditional Latin Mass.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-defeating
Cite this Entry
“Self-defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-defeating. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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