self-handicap

verb

To avoid making an effort, or to introduce deliberate obstacles to one's success, so as to prevent potential failure from hurting one's self-esteem.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbself-handicap (third-person singular simple present self-handicaps, present participle self-handicapping, simple past and past participle self-handicapped)

present singular third person self-handicaps · participle present self-handicapping · participle past self-handicapped · past self-handicapped

  1. intransitivehuman sciencesTo avoid making an effort, or to introduce deliberate obstacles to one's success, so as to prevent potential failure from hurting one's self-esteem.
nounself-handicap (countable and uncountable, plural self-handicaps)

plural self-handicaps

  1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe act of one who self-handicaps, or an obstacle thus introduced.

Origin

From self- + handicap.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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