self-mortification

noun

self-mor·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌself-ˌmȯr-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

plural self-mortifications

: the infliction of pain or discomfort on oneself

Early Roman Catholic missions in the Philippines had emphasized a form of transcendence that is achieved through acts of pain-inflicting self-mortification.

—Julius Bautista

… he was earnestly pressed by Mrs. Dashwood to stay longer; but, as if he were bent only on self-mortification, he seemed resolved to be gone when his enjoyment among his friends was at the height.

—Jane Austen

I was a well-oiled self-mortification machine. That is, a teenager.

—Jonathan Goldstein

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above