self-torment

noun

self-tor·​ment ˌself-ˈtȯr-ˌment How to pronounce self-torment (audio)
plural self-torments
: the act or an instance of tormenting oneself especially psychologically
years of self-torment
… he had an unfortunate taste for gambling; and … he always lost thrice where he gained once. That's a mode of self-torment I never was much addicted to.Anne Brontë
I have not yet looked at the newspaper. Generally I leave it till I come back tired from my walk; it amuses me then to see what the noisy world is doing, what new self-torments men have discovered …Henry Ryecroft
self-tormentor
ˌself-tȯr-ˈmen-tər How to pronounce self-torment (audio)
-ˈtȯr-ˌmen-
noun
plural self-tormentors
Of course the last thing the good doctor would wish is to foist all these complexes on anyone. Engagingly and persuasively he coaxes self-tormentors to have mercy on themselves. Liesl Schillinger

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-torment was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near self-torment

Cite this Entry

“Self-torment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-torment. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!