Meaning of soul-searching | Babel Free

Definitions

Probing introspection; a critical consideration of one's conscience; also, an instance of such consideration.

countable, uncountable

Examples

“After much soul-searching I decided to confess.”

“You’d better do some serious soul-searching before you decide to leave her.”

“So it is with great regret, after long soul-searching, that I must inform you that I cannot in good conscience support your decision to pardon former President [Richard] Nixon even before he has been charged with the commission of any crime.”

“To the militarists foreign conquest offered a solution to several problems at once: how to expand markets for Japanese products, how to guarantee sources of raw materials, how to restore national self-confidence at a moment of soulsearching, and how to consolidate political power at home.”

“Much soul-searching is going on at the west London club who, just seven weeks ago, were five points clear at the top of the table and playing with the verve with which they won the title last season.”

“And yet, arresting figures suggesting a decline in early season ratings have prompted an outbreak of soul‑searching at those broadcasters and head‑scratching among analysts.”

“There was little soul-searching about how and why things have gone so wrong, or about the flawed, hyper-optimistic reasoning that prevailed during globalisation’s heyday.”

“In a way, a bit of soul-searching and humility would be no bad thing, because for those struggling to get by, there are few things more nauseating than the self-styled masters of the universe wringing their hands about the need to address inequality.”

CEFR level