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

But 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

… 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

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

self-mutilate

ˌself-ˈmyü-tə-ˌlāt 

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

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Medical 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