self-laceration
noun
self-lac·er·a·tion
ˌself-ˌla-sə-ˈrā-shən 
plural self-lacerations
: the act or an instance of lacerating oneself: such as
a
: the act or action of cutting or tearing one's own flesh
… the self-laceration often results in sustained or permanent visible disfigurements to the body …—
Armando Favazza
Armando Favazza
b
: the act or action of rebuking or tormenting oneself
Here his self-laceration finds expression in a series of adjectives that come tumbling out …—Harold Bloom
Harold Bloom
self-lacerating
adjective
a self-lacerating autobiography
his self-lacerating honesty
… as she launched an unexpected second career as an acerbic, self-lacerating chronicler of Hollywood excess …
—Matt Schudel
Matt Schudel
Examples of self-laceration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While there’s also a long tradition of funny fat women who are Black, this particular tradition of self-laceration feels born of white feminism, defined by how close the character is to the dominant paradigms of prettiness without embodying them herself.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
George, on the other hand, was a delightful, thrilling roller-coaster ride of fun and games, self-laceration and self-loathing, but nevertheless with a happyish ending.
—New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
As with Nathan for You, Fielder mixes actual service, slightly mocking exposure and full-on self-laceration, though usually with some compassion for the human condition.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2023
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Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
George, on the other hand, was a delightful, thrilling roller-coaster ride of fun and games, self-laceration and self-loathing, but nevertheless with a happyish ending.
—New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
As with Nathan for You, Fielder mixes actual service, slightly mocking exposure and full-on self-laceration, though usually with some compassion for the human condition.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Self-laceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-laceration. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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