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Synonyms

suicidal

American  
[soo-uh-sahyd-l] / ˌsu əˈsaɪd l /

adjective

  1. pertaining to, involving, or suggesting suicide.

  2. tending or leading to suicide.

  3. foolishly or rashly dangerous.

    He drives at a suicidal speed.
suicidal British  
/ ˌsjuː-, ˌsuːɪˈsaɪdəl /

adjective

  1. involving, indicating, or tending towards suicide

  2. liable to result in suicide

    a suicidal attempt

  3. liable to destroy one's own interests or prospects; dangerously rash

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pseudosuicidal adjective
  • suicidally adverb
  • unsuicidal adjective
  • unsuicidally adverb

Etymology

Origin of suicidal

First recorded in 1770–80; suicide + -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Autistic youth experience depression and suicidal thoughts at higher rates than non-autistic peers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In addition, GLP-1 receptor agonists were linked to a reduced risk of suicidal behavior.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

It helps young people identify signs of suicidal thoughts in their peers and provides guidance on how to respond.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

A 2009 study in the American Journal of Public Health found that among immigrants who came from Mexico to the U.S. as teenagers, just 2.3% reported suicidal ideation, compared with 8.9% of their American-born peers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

It took some nerve to go and see her without being summoned; to go with the sort of demands Roy was making seemed suicidal.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.