self-injury

noun

self-in·​ju·​ry ˌself-ˈinj-rē 

ˌself-ˈin-jə-rē

: injury to one's own body

The dog's excessive licking led to self-injury.

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

The most common forms of self-injury include cutting, burning, punching or banging oneself. … These techniques provide a sense of calm from overwhelming feelings, but the momentary relief is followed by feelings of guilt and shame.

—The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)

self-injurious

ˌself-in-ˈju̇r-ē-əs 

adjective

In this trial, risperidone was safe and effective for the short-term treatment of tantrums, aggression, and self-injurious behavior in children with autistic disorder.

—The New England Journal of Medicine

self-injure

ˌself-ˈin-jər 

intransitive verb

self-injured; self-injuring; self-injures

Sufferers have traditionally been met with disgust by doctors, who find their self-injuring offensive.

—Tamala M. Edwards

Examples of self-injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, parents may be unaware of their teens early or worsening symptoms, including self-injury, up to 80% of the time. —Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024

The practice is widely recommended for autistic kids who exhibit dangerous behaviors, such as self-injury or aggression toward others, or who need to acquire basic skills, such as dressing themselves or going to the bathroom. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024

Chancellor's research includes the use of big data sets from Reddit to understand how people talk about severe mental illness and related behaviors, like suicidal thoughts and self-injury. —Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2023

Suicide attempts, self-injury, and violent attacks rise along with temperatures. —Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023

Following reports of self-injury and suicidal thoughts among a small number of people who’ve taken Ozempic or Wegovy in Europe and the United Kingdom, health regulators there are investigating whether the drugs carry a risk of these side effects. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 1 Aug. 2023

Two cases of suicidal thoughts were reported to the EMA relating to the drugs, with another linked to thoughts of self-injury raised in connection with Saxenda. —BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2023

Another patient on Saxenda, Novo’s earlier and less effective weight-loss drug that contains the active ingredient liraglutide, reported thoughts of self-injury, the agency said. —Reuters, NBC News, 10 July 2023

One additional case relating to thoughts of self-injury has been raised in connection with Saxenda. —Suzi Ring, Fortune Well, 10 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above