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

Explanation

Self-mortification is when a person punishes himself, often physically. Most self-mortification is practiced by deeply religious people. In Christianity, self-mortification is called "mortification of the flesh," and it ranges from self-denial — like not drinking alcohol or fasting — to hitting one's own shoulders and back with a whip or strap. Self-mortification isn't practiced by all Christians, and it is a part of other religions as well, especially for very strict followers. The root word is mortificationem, "a killing, or a putting to death" in Latin — in other words, the killing of a person's desires through self-discipline.

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 • Jan. 9, 2023

Not understanding, and not being understood, is an endurance exercise all its own, a crash course in the art of serial self-mortification.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 25, 2016

From the Buddhist monks who stripped themselves of comfort and the Hindu sadhus with their rituals of self-mortification evolved new religions.

From The Guardian • Apr. 15, 2016

These aren't just shirts; they're vehicles of self-mortification, sackcloth and ashes adorned with stripes and spread collars.

From Slate • Oct. 3, 2011

ASCETICISM, the theory and practice of bodily abstinence and self-mortification, generally religious.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various