self-destructive
adjective
self-de·struc·tive
ˌself-di-ˈstrək-tiv 
: acting or tending to harm or destroy oneself
self-destructive behavior
self-destructiveness
noun
Examples of self-destructive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stylianou adds that beyond the vampiric romance, the film explores the addictive nature of modern society, drawing parallels between Thomas’s entanglement with Rhea and contemporary social and self-destructive behaviors.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2024
Newton is damaged and self-obsessed and self-destructive, but the dominant tone is still one of general adulation and consistent evasion of anything that would permanently obscure that.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
As grand metaphors for self-destructive behavior go, this is a pretty clever one.
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
By the 20th century the type (or stereotype, really) could fit all manner of wild and self-destructive creators, especially men, from Dylan Thomas to the Doors' Jim Morrison.
—Stephanie Burt, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Great image for an iconic series, awful choice for a fictional self-destructive leading man.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2024
Paro successfully captivated the woman in the home where Wright did his field work, but only a human caregiver recognized that her reliance on it had curdled into something self-destructive.
—Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
What remains is the puzzle of how such an epically self-destructive fiasco could have happened in the first place.
—Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
This mix of guilt, horror, and apprehension is exactly the self-destructive bent of masochistic progressives.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2024
Newton is damaged and self-obsessed and self-destructive, but the dominant tone is still one of general adulation and consistent evasion of anything that would permanently obscure that.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
As grand metaphors for self-destructive behavior go, this is a pretty clever one.
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
By the 20th century the type (or stereotype, really) could fit all manner of wild and self-destructive creators, especially men, from Dylan Thomas to the Doors' Jim Morrison.
—Stephanie Burt, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Great image for an iconic series, awful choice for a fictional self-destructive leading man.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2024
Paro successfully captivated the woman in the home where Wright did his field work, but only a human caregiver recognized that her reliance on it had curdled into something self-destructive.
—Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
What remains is the puzzle of how such an epically self-destructive fiasco could have happened in the first place.
—Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
This mix of guilt, horror, and apprehension is exactly the self-destructive bent of masochistic progressives.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-destructive.' 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-destructive
Cite this Entry
“Self-destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destructive. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
self-destructive
adjective
self-de·struc·tive
-ˈstrək-tiv
: acting or tending to harm or destroy oneself
self-destructive behavior
also
: suicidal
self-destructively
adverb
self-destructiveness
noun
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