self-torture
noun
self-tor·ture
ˌself-ˈtȯr-chər 
plural self-tortures
1
: the act or an instance of torturing oneself psychologically
Guilt is a merciless instrument of self-torture.—
S. G. Browne
S. G. BrowneBecause golf exposes the flaws of the human swing—a basically simple maneuver—it causes more self-torture than any game short of Russian roulette.—Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice2
: the infliction of intense pain on oneself
The Native North Americans also used physical suffering, a literal self-torture—for example, piercing the chest with sticks and thongs …—Leslie Gray
Leslie GrayExamples of self-torture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than annoying Other types of canker sores are more painful, turning eating into an act of self-torture.
—Matt Fuchs, TIME, 26 Feb. 2025
Few actors make self-torture feel like a kind of heroism.
27.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
For those who want to do it, going down the rabbit hole of polls can be a choose-your-own-adventure tale of self-assurance, self-torture, and deep confusion.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
Joel recently said, for him, writing amounts to self-torture and fostered unhealthy addictions.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2024
This entire exercise in self-torture really has little to do with line items on a budget spreadsheet.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023
Decades earlier, the diplomat George Kennan had won lasting renown (and lifelong self-torture) with his writings at the Cold War’s outset that outlined the nature of the Soviet threat to the United States and prescribed a vague strategy to counter it.
—Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023
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Matt Fuchs, TIME, 26 Feb. 2025
Few actors make self-torture feel like a kind of heroism.
27.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
For those who want to do it, going down the rabbit hole of polls can be a choose-your-own-adventure tale of self-assurance, self-torture, and deep confusion.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
Joel recently said, for him, writing amounts to self-torture and fostered unhealthy addictions.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2024
This entire exercise in self-torture really has little to do with line items on a budget spreadsheet.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023
Decades earlier, the diplomat George Kennan had won lasting renown (and lifelong self-torture) with his writings at the Cold War’s outset that outlined the nature of the Soviet threat to the United States and prescribed a vague strategy to counter it.
—Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Self-torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-torture. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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