self-mortification

[ self-mawr-tuh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the inflicting of pain or privation on oneself:

   He was certain that self-mortification was the only road to salvation.

Other Words From

• self-mor·ti·fied [self-, mawr, -t, uh, -fahyd, self, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-mortification¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Catholic saints practiced self-mortification, such as wearing itchy sackcloth, to encourage humility and to create greater compassion for the suffering of others.

From Salon

Yes, the game can be a tough mistress, the source of frayed nerves, sleepless nights and bottomless self-mortification.

From Washington Times

The run-up to Easter is particularly enjoyable because of the intrinsic delayed gratification, and the discomfort of low-grade self-mortification.

From The Guardian

“I was involved in an immense self-mortification,” she says.

From The New Yorker

Ayahuasca isn’t the only time-honored method of ritual self-mortification, of course; pilgrims seeking an encounter with the divine have a long history of fasting, hair shirts, and flagellation.

From The New Yorker