Meaning & use
self-loathing
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Meanings
noununcountable
A strong, bitter feeling of hatred or disgust directed at yourself, usually because of things you have done or believe you are.
Grammar: Not used with an or a plural: she felt self-loathing, not a self-loathing.
Patterns
- feel self-loathing
- self-loathing about something
- a wave of self-loathing
After lashing out at his friend, he was overcome by self-loathing.
Her diary was full of self-loathing that she hid from everyone.
Therapy helped him understand where his self-loathing came from.
adjectivebefore a noun
Feeling or showing intense hatred of oneself.
Grammar: Usually comes before the noun it describes: a self-loathing character.
Patterns
- a self-loathing person
- self-loathing thoughts
The novel's narrator is a bitter, self-loathing man who blames everyone else.
She spent years trapped in self-loathing thoughts about her appearance.
He gave a self-loathing laugh and shook his head.
Common combinations
- deep self-loathing
- Beneath his jokes lay a deep self-loathing.
- wallow in self-loathing
- Instead of apologizing, he chose to wallow in self-loathing.
- be consumed by self-loathing
- She was consumed by self-loathing after the mistake.
- cycle of self-loathing
- Overeating and guilt created a cycle of self-loathing.
- fill someone with self-loathing
- The memory still filled him with self-loathing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-hatred
- Self-hatred is almost identical in meaning, but it sounds a little more clinical, while self-loathing stresses disgust.
- self-disgust
- Self-disgust is narrower, focusing on revulsion at something specific you did, whereas self-loathing is a broader, lasting attitude.
- self-contempt
- Self-contempt suggests looking down on yourself as worthless, while self-loathing is more emotional and painful.
- self-criticism
- Self-criticism is much milder and can be healthy, while self-loathing is extreme and harmful.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: self-loathing or self-loathing vs self-doubt?
self-loathing vs self-loathing vs self-doubt
Self-doubt is a lack of confidence in your abilities, while self-loathing is actively hating who you are.
Practice
After missing his daughter's recital, Tom was filled with ___ and could not forgive himself.
Choose one answer.
Self-loathing means hating yourself, which fits his inability to forgive himself. Self-confidence is the opposite feeling, and the other two are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-loathing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.