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
Soon after that, Danielle started to self-harm, Miller said, adding that her daughter receives intensive therapy.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
The company has taken steps recently aimed at ensuring that chatbots avoid engaging with minors on topics including self-harm and suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
The sound does much of the work in action sequences obscured by blinding snowstorms and flashing emergency lights, punctuated by creative acts of accidental self-harm that save our protagonists from certain death more than once.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s research shows adolescent mental health plunged in the early 2010s, with rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm more than doubling among young adults.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
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Fred Clasen-Kelly, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
The company has taken steps recently aimed at ensuring that chatbots avoid engaging with minors on topics including self-harm and suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
The sound does much of the work in action sequences obscured by blinding snowstorms and flashing emergency lights, punctuated by creative acts of accidental self-harm that save our protagonists from certain death more than once.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s research shows adolescent mental health plunged in the early 2010s, with rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm more than doubling among young adults.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 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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