self-injury

noun

self-in·​ju·​ry ˌself-ˈin-jə-rē How to pronounce self-injury (audio)
ˌself-ˈinj-rē
: injury to one's own body
The dog's excessive licking led to self-injury.
especially : the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism : self-harm
The most common forms of self-injury include cutting, burning, punching or banging oneself. … These techniques provide a sense of calm from overwhelming feelings, but the momentary relief is followed by feelings of guilt and shame. The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
self-injurious adjective
self-injurious behaviors
self-injure intransitive verb
self-injured; self-injuring; self-injures
Sufferers have traditionally been met with disgust by doctors, who find their self-injuring offensive. Tamala M. Edwards

Examples of self-injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Documentation he’s recieved list self-injury, natural illness, and homicide, but no drug overdoses. Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2024 Sometimes, self-injury may be associated with autism or intellectual or developmental disability. Amy Morin, Parents, 8 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-injury was in 1864

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-injury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-injury. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!