self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
Although most cutters are young women who have been emotionally, sexually, or physically abused as children, [Marilee] Strong's research shows that this specific type of self-harm also appears in other groups.—
Maria Simson et al.
Maria Simson et al.called also self-injury, self-mutilation
self-harm
intransitive verb
self-harmed; self-harming; self-harms
teenagers who self-harm
Examples of self-harm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Aura’s platform tracks behavioral patterns such as sleep and focus, flags mental health risks including self-harm or suicidal ideation, and gives parents visibility into kids’ social media, gaming, and AI chat activity.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
The optimal solution for economic self-harm is not to conjure an elaborate rebate mechanism but to scale back the offending tariffs at the first opportunity.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The judge ordered the sheriff’s office to follow necessary procedures to ensure Adelson cannot self-harm before she was led away in handcuffs after the guilty verdict Thursday night.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
This could look like mood swings, irritability, hostility, feelings of depression, and thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
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Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
The optimal solution for economic self-harm is not to conjure an elaborate rebate mechanism but to scale back the offending tariffs at the first opportunity.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The judge ordered the sheriff’s office to follow necessary procedures to ensure Adelson cannot self-harm before she was led away in handcuffs after the guilty verdict Thursday night.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
This could look like mood swings, irritability, hostility, feelings of depression, and thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-harm
Cite this Entry
“Self-harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-harm. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
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