as in self-annihilation
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Recent Examples of self-flagellation
Both the criticism and self-flagellation imply that the act of claiming another person’s words can render these words deceitful, even if the words have been paid for and the content is true.
—
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-flagellation
Noun
-
The will toward self-annihilation is a familiar human characteristic.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Her self-annihilation is grisly and impossible to misinterpret as a final repudiation of her role in the HMS Courageous bombing and, until Grace announces she’d like Hal to be her vice-president, is the most intense and far-reaching twist of the episode.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Gonzales admitted to having an affair with a former staffer who died by self-immolation.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ratansen dies defending his honor; Padmavati and the women of Chitor perform jauhar (the ancient Rajput practice of self-immolation to avoid capture).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company accepted charitable grants, including thirty million dollars from what was then called Open Philanthropy, a hub of the effective-altruism movement whose commitments included supporting the distribution of mosquito nets to the global poor.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman contends that our modern sense of altruism can be traced back to the radical shift in ethical thinking sparked by Jesus' teachings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And through amazing acts of both technology and solidarity and planning and self-sacrifice, Europeans actually got through the crisis.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Growth comes from mutual accountability, not self-sacrifice.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His magnanimity did not last long.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Scenes of Jackson visiting children in the burn unit and directing manager John Branca (Miles Teller) to give the proceeds from an inevitable Pepsi lawsuit to the burn center are meant to depict Jackson’s magnanimity, as well as his concern for kids.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Our policies have been defined more by optimism and generosity than by selfishness and cynicism.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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Released regionally by Angel Studios, widely known for conservative and Christian content, the movie’s last moment is framed as partisan generosity.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-flagellation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-flagellation. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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