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
What ensued, though, was volatile, self-destructive, mayhem.
—
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Far from self-destructive, the Rapanui proved remarkably resilient.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
According to Fat Mike, the documentary does not shy away from the most extreme, uncomfortable or self-destructive chapters of the group’s history.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2026
By declining to expand social and political freedoms, by refusing to fundamentally overhaul the economy, the leadership has steadily narrowed its own options—moving from the merely ineffective to the actively self-destructive.
—Ali Vaez, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
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Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Far from self-destructive, the Rapanui proved remarkably resilient.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
According to Fat Mike, the documentary does not shy away from the most extreme, uncomfortable or self-destructive chapters of the group’s history.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2026
By declining to expand social and political freedoms, by refusing to fundamentally overhaul the economy, the leadership has steadily narrowed its own options—moving from the merely ineffective to the actively self-destructive.
—Ali Vaez, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
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 5 Feb. 2026.
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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