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self-punishment
noun
- the act or an instance of punishing oneself
Example Sentences
Even though I’d moved past my crush by then, I felt a surge of embarrassment that quickly morphed into self-punishment.
In one solo, she repeatedly raises her palms, then gently strikes her face, as if caught in a loop of self-punishment.
Given the painful infertility Pine and her partner have endured themselves, the decision to place herself in a maternity hospital may sound to many like a unique form of self-punishment.
Evan’s tortured soul loses plenty, though, all while enduring no shortage of self-punishment.
“It was kind of a form of self-punishment, but also trying to keep things a little lighter,” Mancini said.
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Related Words
More About Self-punishment
What is self-punishment?
Self-punishment is the act or an occasion of a person punishing themselves, as in The monk isolated himself for days as self-punishment for his sins.
Self-punishment is similar to the word self-harm, and the two can sometimes be used to describe the same situations. However, self-punishment is more general and may not involve actual harm or injury to a person. Additionally, using the word self-punishment suggests that a person believes they have done something wrong or committed some transgression that they deserve to be punished for.
Example: Darla felt so guilty for ruining her mother’s garden that she replanted everything as self-punishment.
Where does self-punishment come from?
The first records of the term self-punishment come from around 1586. It combines self-, in the sense of “to, with, toward, for, on, in oneself,” and the word punishment, the act of inflicting pain or a penalty on someone as a result of an error or offense. Self-punishment is a person inflicting punishment on themselves.
Self-punishment is a general term, and the punishment can be performed physically, such as a person submerging themselves in cold water, or mentally, such as a person chastising themselves repeatedly.
Why would someone actively choose to punish themselves? That’s a question psychologists have been trying to answer. Self-punishment is actually quite common and is thought to come from a person trying to alleviate guilt or remorse. Relatedly, Christian holy men in the Middle Ages were noted to perform self-punishment as a form of penance for sins.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for self-punishment?
What are some words that share a root or word element with self-punishment?
What are some words that often get used in discussing self-punishment?
How is self-punishment used in real life?
Self-punishment is used by people to refer to activities they perform because of guilt or remorse. Sometimes, the word is used jokingly.
Me: Eating candy corn is just another form of self punishment
Also me: eats candy corn
— Professional Worrier (@pro_worrier_) October 10, 2019
In my latest act of self punishment: I've included celery in tomorrows breakfast juice.
— TUTS 🍍 (@tutkubarbaros) July 8, 2014
One time I got annoyed at a daddy long legs flying around my face for ages so I killed it. Then, as I'm really anti-killing anything, I left the little being on the wall as a self-punishment for like a month and felt guilty every time I saw it. 😣😶
— Roxy Watson (@Roxy_Watson) July 11, 2018
Try using self-punishment!
Is self-punishment used correctly in the following sentence?
Even though his mother never found out, Sam grounded himself in his room as an act of self-punishment for breaking the china plate.
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