self-soothe: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Semi-formal to formal. Common in psychological, therapeutic, parenting, and wellness discourse. Less frequent in casual everyday conversation.
Quick answer
What does “self-soothe” mean?
To calm or comfort oneself, especially during emotional distress, without external help.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To calm or comfort oneself, especially during emotional distress, without external help.
A conscious or unconscious process of emotional regulation, often involving specific behaviours or cognitive strategies to reduce anxiety, agitation, or sadness. Commonly used in psychology, parenting, and self-help contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. The hyphen is standard in both. Slightly more prevalent in American parenting literature.
Connotations
Similar positive connotations of emotional resilience in both varieties.
Frequency
Moderately low frequency in general corpora but a key term in specific domains like developmental psychology and mental health. Frequency is rising in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “self-soothe” in a Sentence
[Subject] self-soothes[Subject] learns to self-sootheto help [Object] self-sootheVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “self-soothe” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The toddler is learning to self-soothe by holding his favourite blanket.
- A key goal of therapy is to help clients self-soothe during moments of crisis.
American English
- The baby finally self-soothed and fell back asleep.
- She uses deep breathing exercises to self-soothe when she feels anxious.
adverb
British English
- Not standard. Use 'to soothe oneself' + adverb, e.g., 'to soothe oneself effectively'.
American English
- Not standard. Use 'to soothe oneself' + adverb, e.g., 'to soothe oneself quietly'.
adjective
British English
- The booklet outlined several self-soothe techniques for mindfulness.
- (Hyphenated attributive use only)
American English
- Developing self-soothe skills is crucial for emotional resilience.
- (Hyphenated attributive use only)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used in wellness or stress-management training: 'Employees are encouraged to develop strategies to self-soothe during high-pressure periods.'
Academic
Common in psychology, psychiatry, and child development literature: 'The infant's capacity to self-soothe is a key milestone in affect regulation.'
Everyday
Used in parenting discussions or personal wellbeing: 'After a tough day, I have a cup of tea to self-soothe.'
Technical
A clinical term in psychotherapy (e.g., DBT, trauma therapy) and paediatrics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “self-soothe”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “self-soothe”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “self-soothe”
- Spelling: 'self-sooth' (missing 'e').
- Using it transitively: 'He self-soothed the baby.' (Incorrect – the baby is not the object of 'self-'). Correct: 'He helped the baby self-soothe.' or 'He soothed the baby.'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While frequently discussed in infant sleep and child development, it is a core concept in adult psychology and mental health for managing emotions like anxiety, anger, and sadness.
Not standardly. The nominal form is usually 'self-soothing' (e.g., 'The practice of self-soothing').
'Soothe' is transitive and requires an object (soothe a baby, soothe pain). 'Self-soothe' is intransitive and reflexive – the subject acts upon themselves.
It is a semi-formal to formal term, specific to certain fields (psychology, parenting). In everyday chat, people might say 'calm myself down' instead.
To calm or comfort oneself, especially during emotional distress, without external help.
Self-soothe: in British English it is pronounced /ˌselfˈsuːð/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌselfˈsuːð/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be one's own comfort”
- “To pull oneself together (related, but more idiomatic and about regaining composure)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SELF + SOOTHE. Imagine a SELF giving a SOOTHing (calming) hug to itself.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A BODY / EMOTIONS ARE PHYSICAL AGITATIONS. Self-soothing is the act of applying a calming balm (behaviour/thought) to the agitated mind-body.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'self-soothe' MOST appropriately used?