self-defeating

adjective

self-de·​feat·​ing ˌself-di-ˈfē-tiŋ How to pronounce self-defeating (audio)
-dē-
: serving or tending to defeat oneself or itself : counterproductive: such as
a
: acting to defeat its own purpose
a self-defeating argument
You kind of realize that violence can be a self-defeating strategy, because it just gives the other guy an incentive to attack you back in revenge.Stephen Pinker
b
: being or involving an attitude of defeatism
Procrastinators tend to be more stressed than other people—even before they start procrastinating. According to a recent study, that's possibly because they have self-defeating thoughts like, "I'm simply too stupid to benefit from more studying, so I'll just hang out on Facebook."Shana Lebowitz

Examples of self-defeating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Making body adjustments—pulling your shoulders back, standing or sitting up straight, walking in a more expansive way—can pull you out of self-doubt, disappointment or dread and any other self-defeating emotion. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 You are stuck in a self-defeating cycle that isn’t going to change. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 The compassion in this new cut doesn’t undercut the many scenes of bad behavior, rock-star excess, self-defeating egotism, and descent into junkiedom. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024 On the one hand, there is her affection for these mom-and-pop enterprises that are part of a dying urban tapestry; on the other, her ambivalence about the way poverty and its consequences (addiction, malnutrition, self-defeating escapism) are reflected in and perpetuated through them. Vulture, 20 Jan. 2024 First, in its substance: Xi styled China under his watch as a custodian of the international order, a paragon of globalization and free-trading liberalism and an opponent of self-defeating, nationalist protectionism. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024 Naftali Bennett, a former Prime Minister, told me that Israel was experiencing a self-defeating level of division. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024 Self-doubt in the West will lead to self-defeating decisions. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2024 Even as a self-defeating curmudgeon, Wright exudes a virtually irresistible appeal. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-defeating.' 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

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-defeating was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near self-defeating

Cite this Entry

“Self-defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-defeating. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-defeating

adjective
self-de·​feat·​ing
ˌself-di-ˈfēt-iŋ
: acting to defeat its own purpose
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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