self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
An acute change in mood that persists for weeks or is associated with thoughts of self-harm should not be ignored.—
John Williamson
John Williamsoncalled also self-injury, self-mutilation
self-harm
intransitive verb
self-harmed; self-harming; self-harms
teenagers who self-harm
Examples of self-harm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Investigators also preliminarily had ruled out potential self-harm, CHP officials said.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2026
All furniture and artwork is designed to prevent suicide, and patients swap their clothing for scrubs if any articles have buttons or threads that could be used for self-harm.
—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
Grief experts are wary of these potential harms, too — especially since several major AI companies faced wrongful death lawsuits claiming AI chatbots encouraged self-harm or pushed users into delusional mental states.
—
Ella Chakarian,
Rolling Stone,
28 June 2026
States, school districts, and families are asking courts to determine whether platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube contributed to anxiety, depression, self-harm, addictive use, educational disruption, and public costs.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
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Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2026
All furniture and artwork is designed to prevent suicide, and patients swap their clothing for scrubs if any articles have buttons or threads that could be used for self-harm.
—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
Grief experts are wary of these potential harms, too — especially since several major AI companies faced wrongful death lawsuits claiming AI chatbots encouraged self-harm or pushed users into delusional mental states.
—
Ella Chakarian,
Rolling Stone,
28 June 2026
States, school districts, and families are asking courts to determine whether platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube contributed to anxiety, depression, self-harm, addictive use, educational disruption, and public costs.
—
Alex Smolak,
STAT,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
Cite this Entry
“Self-harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-harm. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
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