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
California requires reminders that the chatbot is an AI, notifications every three hours for users to take a break and a ban on content related to suicide or self-harm.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
The National Law Review uncovered multiple cases in 2024 and 2025 of teenagers and children using chatbots to explore self-harm, in some cases with lethal consequences.
—Ahmed Hamza, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
Companies should be required to disclose how their algorithms promote content to minors and be held responsible for knowingly amplifying harmful material, including content linked to self-harm, exploitation, or harassment.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The lawsuits, filed separately, mark just the latest scrutiny of OpenAI over claims that ChatGPT has encouraged users to engage in real-world violence or self-harm.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
The National Law Review uncovered multiple cases in 2024 and 2025 of teenagers and children using chatbots to explore self-harm, in some cases with lethal consequences.
—Ahmed Hamza, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
Companies should be required to disclose how their algorithms promote content to minors and be held responsible for knowingly amplifying harmful material, including content linked to self-harm, exploitation, or harassment.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The lawsuits, filed separately, mark just the latest scrutiny of OpenAI over claims that ChatGPT has encouraged users to engage in real-world violence or self-harm.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 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 16 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
