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

Nevertheless, Head fully commits to his character’s self-loathing, which he endures to shield his daughter from the nastiness of their dystopian surroundings.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026

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

“But if we indulge our own self-loathing, it can go down a road as dark and twisted as this.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

But he is also so paranoid, deluded and consumed with self-loathing that throughout this caustically witty novel we can’t help but root for him every step of the way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

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