self-flagellation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lorca, like many Filipino Catholic devotees, performs religious penance in the belief that the practice of self-flagellation can cleanse sins, cure illness and even grant wishes.

From Reuters • Apr. 6, 2023

“It is a self-flagellation at the official level,” said Michele H. Bogart, an art historian who specializes in public art.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2022

On the other side of the spectrum is a reaction that amounts to self-flagellation: We’re screwed, and it’s our fault.

From Slate • Oct. 29, 2022

There may be hard manual labor and a little self-flagellation, but sardonic laughter sometimes erupts within these walls, as do wittily barbed negotiations over money.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2021

But hey, slipping the note into the widows mailbox had always been more about self-flagellation than brotherly love.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx