self-destructive

adjective

self-de·​struc·​tive ˌself-di-ˈstrək-tiv 

: acting or tending to harm or destroy oneself

self-destructive behavior

also : suicidal

a self-destructive impulse

self-destructiveness noun

Examples of self-destructive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a wickedly precise rendering of a young, self-destructive heroine worshiping at the altar of a false idol—and narrated in hindsight, from her later, more perspicacious vantage. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

Sadoski plays Chef Luca, a brilliant but self-destructive superstar chef whose personal entanglements and rock-star antics threaten to derail his high-end restaurant residency at The Roman. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 July 2026

Yet the bloc’s self-destructive policies have left it reliant on record levels of natural gas from Russia. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 July 2026

The Vampire Lestat, the first-ever onscreen rendering of Rice’s beloved second book, premiered this summer, and finds the lovers on the outs once again, sending Lestat into a self-destructive spiral that spans the bulk of the new season. — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-destructive

• deconstructive
• nondestructive
• nonproductive
• reconstructive
• reproductive
• unproductive
• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive

Medical 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