self-destruction

noun

The act of something destroying itself.

Similar
autodestructionsuicideself-annihilation
OriginEnglish destruction ← Middle English self- ← Old English self- →
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Meanings

nounself-destruction (usually uncountable, plural self-destructions)

plural self-destructions

  1. uncountableusuallyThe act of something destroying itself.

    Synonyms: autodestruction

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of something destroying itself.

Similar
autodestruction

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe act of killing yourself

Similar
suicideself-annihilation
Broader
killingkillputting to death
Also see
autodestructionself-annihilationsuicide

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanic*selbaz
  4. Old Englishself
  5. Old Englishself-
  6. Middle Englishself-
  7. Englishself-
  8. Englishdestruction
  9. Englishself-destruction

From self- + destruction.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan autodestrucció
  • autodestruccióact of something destroying itself
Chinese Mandarin 自我毀滅 /自我毁灭
  • 自我毀滅 /自我毁灭 (zìwǒ huǐmiè)act of something destroying itself
Finnish itsetuho
  • itsetuhoact of something destroying itself
French autodestruction
  • autodestructionact of something destroying itself
German Selbstzerstörung
  • Selbstzerstörungact of something destroying itself
Indonesian destruksi diri
  • destruksi diriact of something destroying itself
Japanese 自滅
  • 自滅 (jimetsu)act of something destroying itself
Polish autodestrukcja, samozagłada
  • autodestrukcjaact of something destroying itself
  • samozagładaact of something destroying itself
  • samozniszczenieact of something destroying itself
Romanian autodistrugere
  • autodistrugereact of something destroying itself
Russian саморазруше́ние, самоуничтоже́ние
  • саморазруше́ние (samorazrušénije)act of something destroying itself
  • самоуничтоже́ние (samouničtožénije)act of something destroying itself
Spanish autodestrucción
  • autodestrucciónact of something destroying itself
Swedish självförstörelse
  • självförstörelseact of something destroying itself
Cite this entry
APA

self-destruction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-destruction

MLA

“self-destruction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-destruction. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-destruction,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-destruction.

Source: self-destruction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.