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
Remove items that could be used for self-harm in the moment.
—Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
When OpenAI first released ChatGPT in late 2022, the bot was programmed to flatly refuse to answer questions about self-harm, prioritizing safety over keeping users engaged with the product, said the Raines’ lawsuit.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
After this change, Adam Raine’s engagement with the chatbot increased precipitously, from a few dozen chats per day in January to a few hundred chats per day in April, with a tenfold increase in the fraction of those conversations relating to self-harm.
—Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The law requires companion chatbots to direct users who mention self-harm or suicidal ideation to suicide crisis lines.
—Kate Wolffe
october 23, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
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Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
When OpenAI first released ChatGPT in late 2022, the bot was programmed to flatly refuse to answer questions about self-harm, prioritizing safety over keeping users engaged with the product, said the Raines’ lawsuit.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
After this change, Adam Raine’s engagement with the chatbot increased precipitously, from a few dozen chats per day in January to a few hundred chats per day in April, with a tenfold increase in the fraction of those conversations relating to self-harm.
—Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The law requires companion chatbots to direct users who mention self-harm or suicidal ideation to suicide crisis lines.
—Kate Wolffe
october 23, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 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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