self-destructive

American  

[self-di-struhk-tiv, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈstrʌk tɪv, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. harmful, injurious, or destructive to oneself.

   His constant arguing with the boss shows he's a self-destructive person.

2. reflecting or exhibiting suicidal desires or drives.

   Careless driving may be a self-destructive tendency.

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Other Word Forms

• self-destructively adverb

Etymology

Origin of self-destructive

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

And what he sees, Page argues, is our own reflection — humanity, in all its fractured and flailing self-destructive foolishness.

From Los Angeles Times

The long-suffering recording engineer reaches his breaking point after becoming totally fed up with the band’s self-absorbed, self-destructive behavior.

From Los Angeles Times

Target-date funds are permanent autopilot portfolios that neutralize self-destructive investing behavior.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Some of our detractors have been left in a kind of deranged and self-destructive befuddlement.”

From Barron's

It’s also clumsy, farcical and potentially self-destructive; I would argue that those qualities complement the menace, rather than undercutting or contradicting it.

From Salon