self-sabotagen.
/ˌsɛlfˈsabətɑː(d)ʒ/, U.S. /ˌsɛlfˈsæbəˌtɑʒ/ Behaviours or thoughts, esp. of an involuntary or unconscious nature, that are harmful or detrimental to oneself or one’s own interests or development. Also (and in earliest use): an instance or occasion of this.
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1931 A. Eiloart tr. H. von Hattingberg Psycho-anal. & Neuroses ii. v. 134 If the neurotic..undertakes excursions into life, he will certainly turn back disillusioned because an unconscious, and for that reason all the more effective, self-sabotage takes care that he suffers reverses.
1940 Cumberland (Maryland) News 16 Oct. 7/2 By failing to take the proper precautions to protect our property from fire, we are guilty of self-sabotage.
1990 N. Good Slay your own Dragons i. 8 The very first step in overcoming self-sabotage is self-observation... Don't be afraid to acknowledge that you have set yourself back; it's all part of the learning process.
2014 H. MacDonald H is for Hawk x. 92 I was sure that it was the drink that irrigated White's constant self-sabotage.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
self-sabotagev.
/ˌsɛlfˈsabətɑː(d)ʒ/, U.S. /ˌsɛlfˈsæbəˌtɑʒ/ 1. intransitive. To behave or think in a way that is harmful or detrimental to oneself or one's own interests or development, esp. when this is involuntary or unconscious.In quot. 1931: to deliberately cause harm to oneself (used in the context of individuals doing this in order to increase time taken off work as a result of injury).
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1931 C. Malamuth tr. ‘B. Pilnyak’ Volga falls to Caspian Sea xliv. 307 You cut your finger..; the..doctor puts a bandage on your finger and seals it so that you may not untie the bandage at home and begin self-sabotaging.
1987 Sunday Times 15 Mar. 93/2 Do you ever get, as I do, an overpowering urge to wreck your whole existence just at the moment when it's going most swimmingly?.. The worst of these urges to self-sabotage occurred when I was interviewing the late Indira Gandhi.
2021 Newstex Blogs: EUR/Electronic Urban Rep. (Nexis) 27 June Acknowledge the fear and admit it is the reason you are self-sabotaging. Whether you are procrastinating on a project, unable to stick to your fitness goals, or pushing away a potential new friend or romantic partner.
2. transitive. To behave or think in a way that is harmful or detrimental to (one's own interests or development), esp. when this is involuntary or unconscious. Also reflexive: to behave or think in a way that is harmful or detrimental to (oneself), esp. involuntarily or unconsciously.
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1946 Scotsman 29 Mar. 7/3 He is only four shots behind Rees, and his possibilities for to-morrow have been at worst only partly self-sabotaged.
1980 M. Merzer Winning Diet Wars x. 170 This person self-sabotages himself by demanding an instantaneous change—in his appearance, in his clothing size, in the poundage his scale registers.
1992 Hobart (Austral.) Mercury (Nexis) 8 Feb. I was playing scared golf all the time... I was..working so hard and wanted it so bad that I actually self-sabotaged myself or something.
2021 Sun (Nexis) 25 Aug. 36 I..had a dreadful habit of self-sabotaging every potential relationship I touched. If there was a commitment-phobe or manchild within 100 kilometres, I'd date him.
Derivatives
ˌself-ˈsabotager n. a person who self-sabotages; cf. self-saboteur n.In quot. 1931: a person who deliberately causes harm to himself or herself (used in the context of individuals doing this to increase time taken off work as a result of injury).
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1931 C. Malamuth tr. ‘B. Pilnyak’ Volga falls to Caspian Sea xliv. 307 The..doctor puts a bandage on your finger and seals it so that you may not untie the bandage at home and begin self-sabotaging... This is done because of the self-sabotagers, for it turns out more beneficial to be ill than to be in good health.
1965 R. M. Strang Helping your Child develop his Potentialities viii. 231 These children [who are pressurized by their parents] often subconsciously refuse to try. They have been called ‘self-sabotagers’. They defeat themselves in order to punish their parents.
2018 Advertiser (Austral.) (Nexis) 8 Apr. (Lifestyle section) 12 Self-sabotagers don't often know their actions are hurting them, and taking them further away from what they want.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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n.1931v.1931