self-destruction

[ self-di-struhk-shuhn, self- ]
See synonyms for: self-destructionself-destructions on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the destruction or ruination of oneself or one's life.

Origin of self-destruction

1
First recorded in 1580–90

Words Nearby self-destruction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use self-destruction in a sentence

  • Crazy, he said of his wife; a poor mad thing bent on self-destruction in wild and mournful ways.

  • Many times no real reason can be given for these acts of self-destruction.

    Frank Merriwell's Pursuit | Burt L. Standish
  • Without doubt he was a hardened and depraved wretch; but it is in man's nature to revolt at self-destruction.

  • This last sentence several shrewd detectives thought implied that the writer intended self-destruction.

    Shadow, the Mysterious Detective | Police Captain Howard
  • Never for one instant before had the possibility of the wife's self-destruction occurred to her.

    A Sheaf of Corn | Mary E. Mann

British Dictionary definitions for self-destruction

self-destruction

noun
  1. the act or an instance of self-destructing

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