self-punishment
noun
self-pun·ish·ment
ˌself-ˈpə-nish-mənt 
: the act of punishing oneself
Leaving early to train for an Ironman triathlon—a masterwork of self-punishment—is, however, deeply respected.—
Kyle Smith
Kyle SmithLife was hard enough on me without adding the burden of additional self-punishment.—Ann Finnie
Ann FinnieExamples of self-punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The effort to exonerate herself in her own mind leads her to rituals of exertion and self-punishment.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2024
Sure, the average man probably wouldn’t eat an entire bar of soap in the middle of a group hang as a form of self-punishment for violating bro code, but who among us doesn’t want to be accepted?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Chung seeks a way to grieve without self-punishment, this open-hearted, unflinching account will be a boon to others.
—Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2023
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2024
Sure, the average man probably wouldn’t eat an entire bar of soap in the middle of a group hang as a form of self-punishment for violating bro code, but who among us doesn’t want to be accepted?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Chung seeks a way to grieve without self-punishment, this open-hearted, unflinching account will be a boon to others.
—Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near self-punishment
Cite this Entry
“Self-punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-punishment. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
self-punishment
noun
self-pun·ish·ment
-ˈpən-ish-mənt
: punishment of oneself
masochistic self-punishment
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