self-harm

noun

ˌself-ˈhärm 

: 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.

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

The families are seeking damages and major product changes, including mandatory alerts to emergency contacts, automatic conversation termination when self-harm is discussed, and more robust escalation to human help. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025

Young users claim excessive screen time has led them to suffer depression, anxiety, insomnia and eating disorders, while others have engaged in self-harm and even died by suicide. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Abrihet looks down at her forearms, which are criss-crossed with the scars of self-harm. —Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

Snow ultimately went through several different treatments for anorexia, exercise bulimia, depression and self-harm. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-harm

• alarm
• disarm
• forearm
• gendarme
• nonfarm
• rearm
• arm
• charm
• farm
• harm
• firearm
• underarm

Kids Definition

self-harm

noun

ˌself-ˈhärm 

: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism