self-mutilation
noun
self-mu·ti·la·tion
ˌself-ˌmyü-tə-ˈlā-shən 
: the act of inflicting injury or disfigurement to one's own body
The original wound reopened and became dangerously infected, and yet this classic display of canine self-mutilation continued.—
Dog Watch
Dog WatchBut there seem to be, nevertheless, very few cases of actual cowardice. Of these, the majority involve self-mutilation by conscripts, in an attempt to be invalided out of the Army.—Carey Schofield
Carey Schofield… a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered the state to pay for the private care of a 19-year- old man suffering from a rare neurological disorder that prompts violent bouts of self-mutilation.—Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
specifically
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism : self-harm
… the terrible incidence of self-mutilation, or cutting, particularly among young girls. —Judy Quinn
Judy Quinn
self-mutilate
intransitive verb
self-mutilated; self-mutilating; self-mutilates
self-mutilating behavior
Examples of self-mutilation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jailhouse records show that Smith was disciplined at least five times between 2010 and 2017 for infractions including self-mutilation, drug use and possession of narcotics or marijuana.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
But Eli is a great character, a tragic creature of the night who has relied on manipulation and self-mutilation to survive for decades.
—A.a. Dowd, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
In Leviticus 19:28, God prohibits mourners from funeral rites that involve self-mutilation to honor the dead – the Bible’s only explicit prohibition of tattoos.
—Gustavo Morello, The Conversation, 10 July 2024
Does Biden’s poor performance in one presidential debate truly warrant the Democratic Party’s self-mutilation, even when there are no substantive facts to prove a diminution in the president’s health and cognitive abilities?
—Michelle Etlin, Baltimore Sun, 9 July 2024
Daniel cruelly forces Liz to prove her devotion through self-mutilation.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 26 June 2024
That can lead to negative behaviors like pacing, excessive sleeping and vocalizations, feather-picking and even self-mutilation.
—Rachel Feltman, Popular Science, 19 July 2023
Pádraic doesn’t come off as tedious enough for Colm to threaten self-mutilation should his former friend so much as wave hello to him again.
—Hazlitt, 17 May 2023
His single-minded pursuit of his art and his callous self-indulgence lead one of them to madness, another to self-mutilation and an early demise.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
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Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024
But Eli is a great character, a tragic creature of the night who has relied on manipulation and self-mutilation to survive for decades.
—A.a. Dowd, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
In Leviticus 19:28, God prohibits mourners from funeral rites that involve self-mutilation to honor the dead – the Bible’s only explicit prohibition of tattoos.
—Gustavo Morello, The Conversation, 10 July 2024
Does Biden’s poor performance in one presidential debate truly warrant the Democratic Party’s self-mutilation, even when there are no substantive facts to prove a diminution in the president’s health and cognitive abilities?
—Michelle Etlin, Baltimore Sun, 9 July 2024
Daniel cruelly forces Liz to prove her devotion through self-mutilation.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 26 June 2024
That can lead to negative behaviors like pacing, excessive sleeping and vocalizations, feather-picking and even self-mutilation.
—Rachel Feltman, Popular Science, 19 July 2023
Pádraic doesn’t come off as tedious enough for Colm to threaten self-mutilation should his former friend so much as wave hello to him again.
—Hazlitt, 17 May 2023
His single-minded pursuit of his art and his callous self-indulgence lead one of them to madness, another to self-mutilation and an early demise.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near self-mutilation
Cite this Entry
“Self-mutilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-mutilation. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
self-mutilation
noun
self-mu·ti·la·tion
-ˌmyüt-ə-ˈlā-shən
: injury or disfigurement of oneself
self-mutilation associated with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
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