self-slaughter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowLiterary, Archaic, Formal
Quick answer
What does “self-slaughter” mean?
The act of killing oneself.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act of killing oneself; suicide.
A literary or archaic term for suicide, often implying a deliberate, violent, or tragic act of self-destruction. It can carry connotations of a moral or spiritual crime against oneself.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, as the term is equally archaic and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
In both, it evokes Shakespearean tragedy and a sense of grave, historical language.
Frequency
Effectively zero in contemporary speech for both. Slightly higher recognition in the UK due to the centrality of Shakespeare in the national curriculum.
Grammar
How to Use “self-slaughter” in a Sentence
commit [self-slaughter]be driven to [self-slaughter]contemplate [self-slaughter]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “self-slaughter” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Not used as a verb. Archaic noun only.)
American English
- (Not used as a verb. Archaic noun only.)
adverb
British English
- (No adverbial form.)
American English
- (No adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- (No standard adjectival form. 'Self-slaughtering' is non-standard.)
American English
- (No standard adjectival form. 'Self-slaughtering' is non-standard.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used only in literary analysis, historical texts, or studies of Shakespeare.
Everyday
Not used. Would be confusing or sound pretentious.
Technical
Not used in psychology, medicine, or law; 'suicide' is the standard term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “self-slaughter”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “self-slaughter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “self-slaughter”
- Using it in modern conversation or writing outside of a literary reference.
- Misspelling as 'self-slaughter' (correct) vs. 'selfslaughter' (incorrect).
- Pronouncing 'slaughter' with a /f/ sound (as in 'laughter') instead of the correct /slɔːtə/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is an archaic, literary term, not a modern euphemism. In contemporary contexts, using it would sound odd or overly dramatic.
It is most famously used in William Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet' (c. 1600), in the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy: "Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter."
Only if you are directly quoting a source (like Shakespeare) or writing about the historical/literary use of the term. For discussing the modern act, always use 'suicide'.
'Suicide' is the standard, neutral term used in all modern contexts (clinical, legal, journalistic). 'Self-slaughter' is an archaic synonym with strong literary and moral connotations, now obsolete in everyday language.
The act of killing oneself.
Self-slaughter is usually literary, archaic, formal in register.
Self-slaughter: in British English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈslɔːtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈslɔːtər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be or not to be... and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;... For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause: there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life;... But that the dread of something after death, the undiscover'd country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;... And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of Shakespeare's HAMLET holding a SKULL and saying 'self-SLAUGHTER' – it's a slaughter (killing) of the self.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A BURDEN; DEATH IS SLEEP; SUICIDE IS A CRIME AGAINST THE SELF.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'self-slaughter' be MOST appropriately used today?