soul-searching

American  

[sohl-sur-ching] / ˈsoʊlˌsɜr tʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of close and penetrating analysis of oneself, to determine one's true motives and sentiments.

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soul-searching British  

noun

1. deep or critical examination of one's motives, actions, beliefs, etc

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adjective

1. displaying the characteristics of deep or painful self-analysis

Etymology

Origin of soul-searching

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Less obvious from the headlines, war causes soul-searching among our troops.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

A Reddit-like pseudo social network for OpenClaw agents called Moltbook, where chatbots converse, has also grabbed headlines and provoked soul-searching over AI.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

There will be questions and soul-searching about these horrifying disclosures in the weeks, months and years to come.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Howe admitted this month that he was not doing his job "well enough" as he embarked on a period of soul-searching.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

The committee upheld the forfeit, but not without some trepidation and soul-searching.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• contemplation
• reflection
• rumination
• self-examination