self-injury
noun
self-in·ju·ry
ˌself-ˈin-jə-rē 
ˌself-ˈinj-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)
The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
self-injure
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
Tamala M. Edwards
Examples of self-injury in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Data from the Healthy Minds Study reveals that the percentage of students considering self-injury has not increased the past two years, after more than doubling from 14% in 2007 to 29% in 2022.
—Jeffrey A. Hayes, The Conversation, 12 June 2025
Research must zero in on the causes of some of the most troubling impairments that can come with autism, such as self-injury, aggressive behavior and even catatonia, as noted by the Autism Science Foundation.
—Mark Kendall, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025
Since the abuse, their son has developed new behaviors, including self-injury, screaming, and running away, the family said.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Dec. 2024
Muscle dysmorphia symptomatology is prospectively associated with suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviors, and non-suicidal self-injury among a sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults
WebMD.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
That lawsuit alleged the state’s prison system didn’t allow Canter to continue with her hormone therapy regimen, leading to multiple self-injury attempts by Canter and medical issues stemming from estrogen withdrawal.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 4 Nov. 2024
Documentation he’s recieved list self-injury, natural illness, and homicide, but no drug overdoses.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2024
Sometimes, self-injury may be associated with autism or intellectual or developmental disability.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 8 July 2024
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Jeffrey A. Hayes, The Conversation, 12 June 2025
Research must zero in on the causes of some of the most troubling impairments that can come with autism, such as self-injury, aggressive behavior and even catatonia, as noted by the Autism Science Foundation.
—Mark Kendall, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025
Since the abuse, their son has developed new behaviors, including self-injury, screaming, and running away, the family said.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Dec. 2024
Muscle dysmorphia symptomatology is prospectively associated with suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviors, and non-suicidal self-injury among a sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults
WebMD.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
That lawsuit alleged the state’s prison system didn’t allow Canter to continue with her hormone therapy regimen, leading to multiple self-injury attempts by Canter and medical issues stemming from estrogen withdrawal.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 4 Nov. 2024
Documentation he’s recieved list self-injury, natural illness, and homicide, but no drug overdoses.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2024
Sometimes, self-injury may be associated with autism or intellectual or developmental disability.
—Amy Morin, Parents, 8 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Self-injury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-injury. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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