soul-searching

noun
UK: /ˌsəʊl ˈsɜːtʃɪŋ/
US: /ˌsoʊl ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/

  1. Deep and careful examination of your feelings and motives to understand yourself better.

    1. After a failure, a period of soul-searching is often necessary.
    2. The company underwent a period of intense soul-searching after the scandal was revealed.

Synonyms

introspection reflection contemplation self-analysis
soul-searching adjective

  1. Involving deep and careful examination of your feelings and motives.

    1. It was a soul-searching journey for him.
    2. The play offers a soul-searching exploration of the human condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "soul-searching" is /ˌsəʊl ˈsɜːtʃɪŋ/ in British English and /ˌsoʊl ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "soul-searching": introspection, reflection, contemplation, self-analysis.

Example usage of "soul-searching": "After a failure, a period of soul-searching is often necessary.". More examples on the page.