self-flagellation

English

Noun

self-flagellation (countable and uncountable, plural self-flagellations)

1. (historical) The practice of whipping oneself as penance for sins.
2. (informal) Intense feelings of guilt.
   • 2020, Louise Curtis with Sarah Johnson, A Nurseʼs Story: My Life in A&E During the Covid Crisis, Pan Books, page 70:

     It was [...] followed by feelings of immense guilt and self-flagellation. What did I do wrong? What did I forget?

Translations

the practice of whipping oneself as penance for sins

• Azerbaijani: şaxsey-vaxsey
• Bulgarian: самобичуване n (samobičuvane)
• Catalan: autoflagel·lació (ca) f
• Finnish: itsensäruoskinta
• French: autoflagellation (fr) f
• Galician: autoflaxelación f
• German: Selbstgeißelung f
• Italian: autoflagellazione (it) f
• Polish: samobiczowanie n
• Portuguese: autoflagelação (pt) f
• Romanian: autoflagelare (ro) f
• Spanish: autoflagelación f
• Swedish: självgisslande (sv) n, självgissling c

See also

• beat one's breast
• beat oneself up
• hairshirt