self-punishing
adjective
self-pun·ish·ing
ˌself-ˈpə-ni-shiŋ 
: acting or serving to punish oneself
self-punishing thoughts
… it squared with what they knew about the troubled soul of Meriwether Lewis; … how hard he was on himself; … and how self-punishing he was when he felt that he was not meeting his own or the world's expectations.—
Clay S. Jenkinson
Clay S. JenkinsonExamples of self-punishing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But, for whatever self-punishing reason, disdained a coat.
—Graham Swift, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2024
Graham Swift, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-punishing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-punishing
Cite this Entry
“Self-punishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-punishing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share