self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
An acute change in mood that persists for weeks or is associated with thoughts of self-harm should not be ignored.—
John Williamson
John Williamsoncalled also self-injury, self-mutilation
self-harm
intransitive verb
self-harmed; self-harming; self-harms
teenagers who self-harm
Examples of self-harm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Nest’s check-in form includes a question regarding self-harm and suicide, for example, which could be flagged and sent to the school’s crisis team.
—Abigail Min, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The slow burn of Santos getting repeatedly plowed over with stress and emotion has led her to contemplate self-harm again.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Features such as infinite scroll and auto-play videos keep kids on the site, fostering addictive behavior that can lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, the lawsuit claims.
—Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
In its complaint, the state accused Meta of purposely designing features like infinite scroll and auto-play for videos to keep kids hooked on the apps, leading them into depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
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Abigail Min, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The slow burn of Santos getting repeatedly plowed over with stress and emotion has led her to contemplate self-harm again.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Features such as infinite scroll and auto-play videos keep kids on the site, fostering addictive behavior that can lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, the lawsuit claims.
—Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
In its complaint, the state accused Meta of purposely designing features like infinite scroll and auto-play for videos to keep kids hooked on the apps, leading them into depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
Cite this Entry
“Self-harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-harm. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
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