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Synonyms

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.

soul-searching British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of soul-searching

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Parks' breathy vocals and soul-searching introspection fit snugly within the musical world she's created.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

England head to India to launch their World Cup campaign with momentum at their backs, while Sri Lanka have plenty of soul-searching to do with their frailties against spin brutally exposed.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

The Lakers underwent some soul-searching at practice Saturday, with coach JJ Redick starting the conversation before allowing players to speak freely about the team’s issues.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025

An electronic river of true pain had sprung up in that period of national soul-searching, far deeper than I’d imagined, and it was wrenching to have so much of it run literally through my fingers.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.