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
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
One hypothesis is that this self-destructive behavior, by nourishing the mother of his children, could simply be the optimal evolutionary strategy.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Fewer episodes and less time spent on the self-destructive café manager would have kept the storyline squarely on Rocco’s psyche.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024
In the 14-episode series, Mod plays a brilliant yet self-destructive working-class writer who falls in love with wayward posh boy Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) on their final day at university in 1988.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
Here are 10 squads seemingly relegated to the sidelines during this year’s silly season, their impactful outlooks ranked from insubstantial to those seemingly staring at self-destructive maneuvers going into the 2024 campaign (note: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap):
10.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
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
One hypothesis is that this self-destructive behavior, by nourishing the mother of his children, could simply be the optimal evolutionary strategy.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Fewer episodes and less time spent on the self-destructive café manager would have kept the storyline squarely on Rocco’s psyche.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024
In the 14-episode series, Mod plays a brilliant yet self-destructive working-class writer who falls in love with wayward posh boy Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) on their final day at university in 1988.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
Here are 10 squads seemingly relegated to the sidelines during this year’s silly season, their impactful outlooks ranked from insubstantial to those seemingly staring at self-destructive maneuvers going into the 2024 campaign (note: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap):
10.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Self-destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destructive. Accessed 18 Apr. 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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