suicidal

adjective sui·cid·al \ ˌsü-ə-ˈsī-dᵊl \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Examples: suicidal in a Sentence

Definition of suicidal

1 a : dangerous especially to life

b : destructive to one's own interests

2 : relating to or of the nature of suicide

3 : marked by an impulse to commit suicide

—

suicidally

adverb

See suicidal defined for English-language learners

Examples of suicidal in a Sentence

psychiatrists working with suicidal patients
He knows that supporting a tax increase would be politically suicidal.

Recent Examples of suicidal from the Web

In the first year of the bill’s passing, schools were required to have a policy in place that promoted training to better prepare staff to recognize suicidal thoughts and behavior.

— sarah ravani, SFChronicle.com, "San Mateo County schools step up suicide prevention efforts," 18 June 2018
Questioning students about suicidal thoughts is a long-standing practice at Camp Everytown.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "A Retreat’s Risky Lessons," 14 June 2018
And then there are those black-box warnings the U.S. Food and Drug Administration imposed about a decade ago stating that some antidepressants were linked to more suicidal behavior.

— Philly.com, "Tips for talking to kids about suicide," 13 June 2018
Amid the bombast and teasers for games that are months or years away from release, audiences in pre-show sessions across Los Angeles last weekend previewed a quiet game that aims to meditate on crippling depression and suicidal thoughts.

— todd martens, latimes.com, "In a divisive political climate, E3 shows that maybe video games had it right all along," 12 June 2018
McGowan's letter comes as other artists have spoken out about their battles with depression and suicidal thoughts.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Following Anthony Bourdain's Suicide, Rose McGowan Calls For a 'Collective Conversation' About Depression," 11 June 2018
Asking about suicidal thoughts or feelings won’t push someone into doing something self-destructive.

— katie heaney, The Cut, "If You Think a Friend Might Be Suicidal, Ask," 8 June 2018
Some of the most frequently cited risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, depression, a prior suicide attempt, family history and exposure to other people's suicidal behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health.

— jolie lee, USA TODAY, "Suicide warning signs: Here's what to look for when someone needs help," 5 June 2018
Depression is characterized by a sad, despondent mood that may include among others, a decrease in energy levels, feelings of helplessness and/or hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, and suicidal behavior.

— edmi y. cortes torres, m.d., miamiherald, "How to manage the highs and lows that Is bipolar disorder," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suicidal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of suicidal

1777

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SUICIDAL Defined for English Language Learners

suicidal

adjective

Definition of suicidal for English Language Learners

: wanting to kill yourself : showing a desire to kill yourself
: extremely dangerous : likely to cause your death : likely to cause great harm to yourself

Medical Dictionary

suicidal

adjective sui·cid·al \ ˌsü-ə-ˈsīd-ᵊl \

medical Definition of suicidal

1 : of, relating to, or tending to cause suicide

suicidal tendencies

2 : marked by an impulse to commit suicide

suicidal patients

—

suicidally

play \-ᵊl-ē\ adverb

Learn More about suicidal

See words that rhyme with suicidal Spanish Central: Translation of suicidal Nglish: Translation of suicidal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of suicidal for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up suicidal? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

suicidal

Definition of suicidal

suicidally

Examples of suicidal in a Sentence

Recent Examples of suicidal from the Web

First Known Use of suicidal

SUICIDAL Defined for English Language Learners

suicidal

Definition of suicidal for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

suicidal

medical Definition of suicidal

suicidally

Learn More about suicidal

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

skirl

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

What It Means to Go ‘Radio Silent’

The Last Word on 'Finalize'

'Creep': A Skin-Crawling History

Centuries and How to Refer to Them

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Name More Food!

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

What It Means to Go ‘Radio Silent’

Words for Summer: A Quiz

If the Shoe Fits

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Ghost Word

suicidal

Definition of suicidal

suicidally

Examples of suicidal in a Sentence

Recent Examples of suicidal from the Web

First Known Use of suicidal

SUICIDAL Defined for English Language Learners

suicidal

Definition of suicidal for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

suicidal

medical Definition of suicidal

suicidally

Learn More about suicidal

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

What It Means to Go ‘Radio Silent’

Words for Summer: A Quiz

If the Shoe Fits

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Ghost Word