self-torture

American  

[self-tawr-cher] / ˈsɛlfˈtɔr tʃər /

noun

1. the act of torturing oneself; an activity causing extreme physical, mental, or emotional pain to oneself.

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verb (used without object)

self-tortured, self-torturing

1. to deliberately torture oneself physically, mentally, or emotionally.

Other Word Forms

• self-torturous adjective

Example Sentences

"This is not a holiday, this is self-torture. It is very tough," he said.

From Reuters

Yearning, possessiveness, jealousy, deception, self-torture, the impossibility of truly knowing another person — these turn out to be the unhappy and recurrent elements of Proustian love.

From Washington Post

Scouring someone’s recovery for meaningful information is basically self-torture.

From Washington Post

First-year North Carolina coach Hubert Davis disclosed that for years he engaged in a form of self-torture.

From Washington Post

Playing the game back in the mind — particularly for the defense — amounts to self-torture.

From Washington Post