Defense Mechanisms

noun a set of data or instructions that are grouped together for a specific purpose in computing

verb to prevent something from happening or succeeding

• The city council decided to install a new concrete block on the street for added safety.
• I parked my car in front of the building, right next to the yellow block.
• I can't believe he blocked me on social media just because I disagreed with him.
• Her negative attitude is like a mental block preventing her from seeing the bright side of things.

noun a way of avoiding doing something that one does not want to do or that one finds difficult

verb to avoid doing something that one does not want to do or that one finds difficult

• It is considered a cop out to blame others for your own mistakes.
• I think it's a cop out to not take responsibility for what happened.
• Don't be such a cop out and face the consequences of your actions.
• Choosing the easy way out is just a cop out in the long run.

noun the action of refusing to admit the truth or existence of something

• The defendant entered a plea of denial in response to the charges.
• She's in denial about how serious the situation is.
• Stop living in denial and face the truth.
• His denial of the problem only made it worse in the long run.

noun the act of disguising or concealing one's true motives or feelings

• The artist's work displayed a remarkable dissemblance between reality and imagination.
• There was a clear dissemblance between what he said and what he actually meant.
• I can see right through her dissemblance, she's not fooling anyone.
• The dissemblance of the mask hid the true emotions of the actor underneath.

noun a process where a person's thoughts, feelings, and memories are separated from their conscious awareness

• The patient experienced dissociation as a coping mechanism for dealing with trauma.
• Sometimes I feel like I'm in a state of dissociation when I'm really stressed out.
• I was so out of it, I was in full dissociation mode.
• The company's dissociation from unethical practices was evident in their latest transparency report.

noun a deceptive appearance or facade that hides the true nature of something

• The building had a false front that made it appear larger than it actually was.
• The shop's false front made it look fancier than it really is.
• That store's false front is just for show.
• He put up a false front of confidence to hide his insecurities.

noun a hidden place; a secluded or isolated place

verb to put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others

• The criminal attempted to hide the stolen goods in a secret compartment.
• I told you to hide the snacks before mom sees them!
• She tried to hide her phone from her nosy friend.
• His emotions were so intense that he couldn't hide them anymore.

noun The act of concealing oneself or something from view

verb Present participle of the verb 'hide', which means to conceal or keep out of sight

• The fugitive was found hiding in the abandoned warehouse.
• I saw you hiding behind the bushes!
• She's always hiding out in her room when she's upset.
• His true feelings were hiding beneath a facade of indifference.

verb to treat something as unimportant or trivial

• It is inappropriate to make light of someone else's struggles.
• Don't make light of the situation, it's serious.
• She always makes light of everything, it's annoying.
• He tends to make light of his own mistakes to avoid feeling guilty.

noun a person who mocks or derides others; a person who imitates or mimics in a scornful or contemptuous manner

• The mocker in the audience made derogatory remarks throughout the speaker's presentation.
• Don't pay attention to that mocker, they're just trying to get a reaction out of you.
• That mocker is always talking trash about everyone behind their backs.
• The wind howled like a mocker, taunting the trees with its fierce gusts.

noun the act of reversing or stopping something that has been done

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The scientist realized the gravity of his undoing when his experiment resulted in a catastrophic failure.
• She knew she was in for some serious undoing when she accidentally deleted the important file.
• He's always getting himself into some kind of undoing with his reckless behavior.
• Her undoing was not realizing the consequences of her actions until it was too late.

verb To withdraw emotional investment or attachment from someone or something.

• The therapist recommended decathecting from negative thoughts to improve mental well-being.
• I need to start decathecting from my ex-boyfriend and move on.
• She's really decathecting from that toxic friend of hers.
• Decathecting from the past is like shedding a heavy burden off your shoulders.