soul-searching

American  

[sohl-sur-ching] / ˈsoʊlˌsɜr tʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of close and penetrating analysis of oneself, to determine one's true motives and sentiments.

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soul-searching British  

noun

1. deep or critical examination of one's motives, actions, beliefs, etc

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adjective

1. displaying the characteristics of deep or painful self-analysis

Etymology

Origin of soul-searching

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soul-searching

Looking back, he gained a foothold in mainstream politics only because of the humiliating defeat of Kamala Harris, and the soul-searching that followed.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

There’s no point in engaging with a debt-management company in order to get rid of this $35,000 if you don’t do some serious soul-searching about how you got into this hole in the first place.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Less obvious from the headlines, war causes soul-searching among our troops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Howe admitted this month that he was not doing his job "well enough" as he embarked on a period of soul-searching.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026

King’s advisors argued and pleaded with him, but he was done soul-searching.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• contemplation
• reflection
• rumination
• self-examination