self-mortification

American  

[self-mawr-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˈsɛlfˌmɔr tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the inflicting of pain or privation on oneself.

   He was certain that self-mortification was the only road to salvation.

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Other Word Forms

• self-mortified adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-mortification

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Catholic saints practiced self-mortification, such as wearing itchy sackcloth, to encourage humility and to create greater compassion for the suffering of others.

From Salon

Yes, the game can be a tough mistress, the source of frayed nerves, sleepless nights and bottomless self-mortification.

From Washington Times

The run-up to Easter is particularly enjoyable because of the intrinsic delayed gratification, and the discomfort of low-grade self-mortification.

From The Guardian

“I was involved in an immense self-mortification,” she says.

From The New Yorker

Ayahuasca isn’t the only time-honored method of ritual self-mortification, of course; pilgrims seeking an encounter with the divine have a long history of fasting, hair shirts, and flagellation.

From The New Yorker