self-flagellation
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˌsɛlf flædʒəˈleɪʃən/
:
autoflagelación
- In some religious traditions, self-flagellation is practiced as a means of demonstrating repentance.
- an exercise in self-flagellation
Our brain is meant to keep us safe and in all of that, one of the mechanisms that it uses is basically self flagellation.
- Our brain is meant to keep us safe and in all of that, one of the mechanisms that it uses is basically self flagellation.
Examples
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The old manuscript described the ritual of self-flagellation performed by devoted monks during Lent.
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He believed that self-flagellation would purify his soul and bring him closer to spiritual enlightenment.
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And this ridiculous self-flagellation, in my view, is just depressing.
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There is no power of self-determination here, only self-flagellation.
Academic text (1990) -
But again, that promotes more self-flagellation, which only seems to add to the cranky mood.
Blog text (31) -
Distorted, the teaching can lead to self-flagellation among individuals and self-victimization among communities and peoples.
Academic text (1990) -
His concluding essays cover a wide range of Jewish angst and self-flagellation.
Blog text (30) -
Shi'a of different ethnic groups had quite different traditions of chants, majles behavior, and self-flagellation.
Academic text (2003) -
Conservatives took their lumps and began the peaceful post-defeat process of self-flagellation, self-analysis, and self-autopsy.
Blog text (19) -
Does doctrine necessarily include vows of chastity, tithing, and atonement for sins through self-flagellation and the cilice?
Synonyms
1
9.3
Act of making yourself feel ashamed to show you are sorry
1
7.5
Making yourself suffer because you feel guilty
1
7.4
Causing yourself pain by thinking a lot about bad things
A practice of hurting yourself on purpose to show discipline or say sorry, often for religious reasons
How Severe
- NSFW
19
8.4
41
6.3
2
9.9
1
7.5
4
5.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
self-flagellation = flagellation (transparent) = self + flagellation
Meaning is directly and literally composed: 'self-' (oneself) + 'flagellation' (whipping), so the act of whipping oneself is predictable from the parts.
Etymology
The word self-flagellation breaks into self- 'your own' and flagellate 'to whip'. So it first meant 'whipping yourself' and now it is used for physically punishing yourself or for strong self-blame and guilt.