as in self-annihilation
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Recent Examples of self-flagellation
Both the criticism and self-flagellation imply that the act of claiming another person’s words can render these words deceitful, even if the words have been paid for and the content is true.
—
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-flagellation
Noun
-
The will toward self-annihilation is a familiar human characteristic.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Her self-annihilation is grisly and impossible to misinterpret as a final repudiation of her role in the HMS Courageous bombing and, until Grace announces she’d like Hal to be her vice-president, is the most intense and far-reaching twist of the episode.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ratansen dies defending his honor; Padmavati and the women of Chitor perform jauhar (the ancient Rajput practice of self-immolation to avoid capture).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Texas Democrats got to enjoy the glow of a surprise victory in Tarrant County for just about a day before the party reverted to its uncommon capacity for self-immolation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The company accepted charitable grants, including thirty million dollars from what was then called Open Philanthropy, a hub of the effective-altruism movement whose commitments included supporting the distribution of mosquito nets to the global poor.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman contends that our modern sense of altruism can be traced back to the radical shift in ethical thinking sparked by Jesus' teachings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Panthers players cast their vote for the teammate whose successes and self-sacrifices for the good of the team were not always noticed or translated to the stat sheet but made an impact on the group.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
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Growth comes from mutual accountability, not self-sacrifice.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to Kopitar’s complete game, another likely Hall of Fame center, John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs, said Kopitar’s intangibles, grace and magnanimity were also distinctive traits.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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For Liu to resuscitate figure skating as a mature, 20-year-old woman with magnanimity for her competitors is a remarkable feat—a single athlete transforming her sport in a single performance.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His is a work of coming to terms with the odds, surviving them, and doing so with grace, radiance, generosity, and spirit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
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He was touched and impressed, assuming that would be the weight of her generosity.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-flagellation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-flagellation. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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