self-injury
noun
self-in·ju·ry
ˌself-ˈin-jə-rē 
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)
The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
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
Tamala M. Edwards
Examples of self-injury in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Regulators in both the United States and Europe opened investigations into the issue after reports of possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts among people using the drugs, but both thus far have not identified a link.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
The cumulative effects of American inaction amount to self-injury.
—Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2024
Studies have shown that women and girls tend to have more suicidal ideation, attempts and self-injury.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
Clinical trials have shown that DBT successfully reduces some of the key features of borderline, such as self-injury and suicidal behavior and hospitalizations, as well as other symptoms.
—Diana Kwon, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022
This action can be comforting and might be enough to calm your toddler down and stop the self-injury.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 8 July 2024
In December, Qiao Zhihong, a leading Chinese psychologist, observed that over the past three years, there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with depression, anxiety, self-injury, and suicide.
—Yanzhong Huang, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2023
As a result, parents may be unaware of their teens early or worsening symptoms, including self-injury, up to 80% of the time.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
The practice is widely recommended for autistic kids who exhibit dangerous behaviors, such as self-injury or aggression toward others, or who need to acquire basic skills, such as dressing themselves or going to the bathroom.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Meg Tirrell, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
The cumulative effects of American inaction amount to self-injury.
—Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2024
Studies have shown that women and girls tend to have more suicidal ideation, attempts and self-injury.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
Clinical trials have shown that DBT successfully reduces some of the key features of borderline, such as self-injury and suicidal behavior and hospitalizations, as well as other symptoms.
—Diana Kwon, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022
This action can be comforting and might be enough to calm your toddler down and stop the self-injury.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 8 July 2024
In December, Qiao Zhihong, a leading Chinese psychologist, observed that over the past three years, there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with depression, anxiety, self-injury, and suicide.
—Yanzhong Huang, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2023
As a result, parents may be unaware of their teens early or worsening symptoms, including self-injury, up to 80% of the time.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
The practice is widely recommended for autistic kids who exhibit dangerous behaviors, such as self-injury or aggression toward others, or who need to acquire basic skills, such as dressing themselves or going to the bathroom.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near self-injury
Cite this Entry
“Self-injury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-injury. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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