self-loathing

American  

[self-loh-thing] / ˈsɛlfˈloʊ ðɪŋ /

noun

1. disgust with oneself; the feeling that one is detestable.

   Consumed by my own self-loathing, I thought I deserved nothing.

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adjective

1. feeling or expressing disgust with oneself.

   In my insecure and self-loathing mind, I figured she’d probably given me her number with no intention of ever going out with me.

Etymology

Origin of self-loathing

self- ( def. ) + loathing ( def. )

Example Sentences

Dwayne Johnson’s performance in “The Smashing Machine,” for all the film’s flaws, cleverly reconciled the dissonance between the outward images of masculine power and internal feelings of self-loathing.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

Steve describes losing hours to online clips and feeling self-loathing; he views it as an epidemic among retirees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The blues “You’re Kind” features a self-loathing protagonist who dumps a lover who’s good to him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

Butler’s Hank is dog-paddling through life: a self-loathing failure just trying to keep his head above water.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

What I did experience when alone was a sort of general neurotic horror, a common attack of nerves and self-loathing magnified to the power of ten.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt