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
For millennials who recognize Snow from cult-classic teen comedies like 2006’s John Tucker Must Die and the Pitch Perfect franchise, her starring role as the self-destructive Sophie in The Hunting Wives is simultaneously nostalgic and intriguing.
—
Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2025
Perfectionism gave her a way to understand this relentlessly self-destructive drive.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Maybe Ward has a self-destructive streak, who knows, but society’s doyennes gather at the van Rhijn household (the Forte household now??) and decide to freeze him out.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Joss’ self-destructive instincts, Wahl-Trejo says, were at their worst in his dealings with neighbors.
—Ethan Bauer, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
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Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2025
Perfectionism gave her a way to understand this relentlessly self-destructive drive.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Maybe Ward has a self-destructive streak, who knows, but society’s doyennes gather at the van Rhijn household (the Forte household now??) and decide to freeze him out.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Joss’ self-destructive instincts, Wahl-Trejo says, were at their worst in his dealings with neighbors.
—Ethan Bauer, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-destructive
Cite this Entry
“Self-destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destructive. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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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