self-hatred

noun

self-ha·​tred ˌself-ˈhā-trəd How to pronounce self-hatred (audio)
: hatred directed toward oneself rather than toward others : self-hate
Some people who read my memoirs are shocked at the level of self-hatred. All I can say is, if you have never suffered from self-loathing, lucky you.David Hare
"It was just self-hatred, low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn't do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore," she [Paris Jackson] explained.Jessica Sager

Examples of self-hatred in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Moore put it all out there for the film, a gory, campy satire on beauty standards, toxic masculinity and female self-hatred, with the movie’s frequent and prominent nudity, as well as its gruesome violence, attracting a lot of attention after its world premiere in Cannes. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024 The film is rife with metaphors about women in Hollywood, the cruelty of age and the repercussions of self-hatred. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 May 2024 There’s a level of self-hatred there that is so profound. Mark Hertsgaard, TIME, 7 May 2024 Instead, Snow demonstrates how an eating disorder presents itself in life, haunting the present with past pain that manifests as self-hatred. Montages of necklines, knees, elbows and legs highlight how Riley is clocking other women's bodies, her mind constantly comparing. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 Larry David — the character — is essentially merry, quintessentially secure, and startlingly untroubled by self-hatred to the very end. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024 And there’s an internalized self-hatred that occurs. Justin Curto, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 There are lots of ways that Spider can be read as a metaphor—for depression, terror, self-hatred—but this is a story with a lot of very concrete action. Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 Classmates’ comments and media representations of women discipline her into heartbreaking shame and self-hatred. Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-hatred.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-hatred was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near self-hatred

Cite this Entry

“Self-hatred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-hatred. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

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