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
Researchers at the University of Granada found that people who use self-defeating humor tend to have higher psychological well-being, especially in terms of happiness and, to a lesser extent, sociability.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Leveraging private capital will help eliminate the ironic and self-defeating need to borrow from these same adversaries to close our budget shortfalls.
—Charles Beames, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Friedan’s charmingly self-aware prose provides a window into how feminist ideas were translated into an agenda—and a peek into the mind of one of America’s most effective, if occasionally self-defeating, reformers.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
In contrast, self-defeating or aggressive humor can have a negative impact on relationships, especially if used too frequently or harshly.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-defeating 
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.
Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Leveraging private capital will help eliminate the ironic and self-defeating need to borrow from these same adversaries to close our budget shortfalls.
—Charles Beames, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Friedan’s charmingly self-aware prose provides a window into how feminist ideas were translated into an agenda—and a peek into the mind of one of America’s most effective, if occasionally self-defeating, reformers.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
In contrast, self-defeating or aggressive humor can have a negative impact on relationships, especially if used too frequently or harshly.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-defeating
Dictionary Entries Near self-defeating
Cite this Entry
“Self-defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-defeating. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share