self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
Although most cutters are young women who have been emotionally, sexually, or physically abused as children, [Marilee] Strong's research shows that this specific type of self-harm also appears in other groups.—
Maria Simson et al.
Maria Simson et al.called 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
According to Parents Together's Shelby Knox, many chatbots suggested violence, including self-harm and harm to others, or the use of drugs and alcohol.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The idea of blocking states from regulating AI has received broad pushback in recent months amid a string of reports highlighting risks of the technology causing delusions or contributing to self-harm among users, or exposing children to sexualized, adult material.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
This continued through the evening of her death with some self-harming actions earlier in the evening and a text message to another friend indicating the thought of suicide.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Meta said publicly that a maximum of half a percent of users were exposed to suicide and self-harm material, but its own study found the number was around 7%, the filing said.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
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Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The idea of blocking states from regulating AI has received broad pushback in recent months amid a string of reports highlighting risks of the technology causing delusions or contributing to self-harm among users, or exposing children to sexualized, adult material.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
This continued through the evening of her death with some self-harming actions earlier in the evening and a text message to another friend indicating the thought of suicide.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Meta said publicly that a maximum of half a percent of users were exposed to suicide and self-harm material, but its own study found the number was around 7%, the filing said.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
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 16 Dec. 2025.
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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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