self-sabotage

or self sab·o·tage

[ self-sab-uh-tahzh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act or habit of behaving in a way that interferes directly with one’s own goals, well-being, relationships, etc., as by comfort eating, procrastination, or lashing out at others:
If a line worker physically assaults a supervisor, that’s self-sabotage, as there’s every likelihood of dismissal followed by criminal prosecution.

verb (used with or without object)

to behave, especially habitually or compulsively, in a way that interferes directly with one’s own goals, well-being, relationships, etc.:
She’ll do OK for a while, and then all of a sudden she’ll self-sabotage by procrastinating and making excuses, and her dreams come to a screeching halt—again.
Your husband is self-sabotaging the relationship with his gambling.

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-sabotage¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

At 45, I was a doctor with acquired autoimmune disorder, a long trail of self-sabotage and no idea how to be loved.

From

There is also the self-sabotage.

From

Winning by default and counting on one’s enemy to self-sabotage is not a viable strategy in an existential struggle.

From

This is more than stupidity: It’s self-sabotage.

From

As Queenie, navigating empty relationships and professional disappointments on a journey from self-sabotage to self-worth, Brown makes a whole person from a variety of attitudes — hopeful, hopeless, hungover, exuberant, fretful, thoughtful.

From

self-rule self-sacrifice

Browse