self-inflicted
Definition
Adjective - Caused by one's own actions: "self-inflicted" describes something, typically a wound, injury, or problem, that is deliberately or accidentally caused by the person who experiences it, rather than by an external force or another person.
Usage Examples
- (The soldier shot himself, not being shot by an enemy.)
- (She caused her own money troubles by her careless actions.)
- (He chose to stay away from others, which led to his loneliness.)
Advanced Usage
- "self-inflicted wound": a common phrase used both literally (a physical injury one gives oneself) and figuratively (a problem one creates for oneself, often through poor decisions).
- Losing the contract was a self-inflicted wound; the company ignored the client's needs. (The loss was caused by the company's own mistakes, not by competitors.)
Variants and Related Words
- Self-infliction (noun): the act of causing something to oneself.
- The self-infliction of pain is a sign of deep distress. (The person is deliberately hurting themselves.)
Synonyms
- Self-caused: brought about by one's own actions.
- Self-imposed: voluntarily accepted or created by oneself (often used for rules or hardships, not just injuries).
- He followed a self-imposed curfew. (He set his own rule to be home by a certain time.)
Related Idioms
- "to cut off one's nose to spite one's face": to act in a way that harms oneself out of anger or pride, often unnecessarily.
- Refusing the scholarship was like cutting off her nose to spite her face — a self-inflicted loss. (Her pride caused her to hurt her own chances.)