them

[ them; unstressed thuhm, uhm ]
See synonyms for them on Thesaurus.com
pronoun
  1. the objective case of plural they, used as a direct or indirect object: We saw them yesterday. I gave them the books.

  2. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun they in the predicate after the verb to be): It's them, across the street.No, that isn’t them.

  1. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun their before a gerund): The boys' parents objected to them hiking without adult supervision.

  2. the objective case of singular they, used as a direct or indirect object:

    • (used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): If you know anyone looking for a job, tell them to contact me.If an officer were to ask you that question directly, you would have to answer them honestly.

    • (used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): I can’t believe your ex took your cat with them when they moved out.

    • (used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): Randi’s on vacation, so you can’t see them until next week.

adjective
  1. Nonstandard. those: He don't want them books.

Origin of them

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English theim, theym, from Old Norse theim “them” (dative); replacing Middle English tham(e), Old English thǣm, thām; cf. they

Grammar notes for them

See he1, me, they.

Words Nearby them

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use them in a sentence

  • The English kings had turned to the only people who could have helped them-the Normans settled in Ireland; and they failed them.

    Is Ulster Right? | Anonymous
  • No sooner did he say the word than he and the Weasel found them-selves standing before the open door of a nice little house.

  • Shall the dead take thought for the dead to love them?What love was ever as deep as a grave?

  • After this the Kafirs gave Savage a second very long name which meant "He-who-sits-down-on-snakes-and-makes-them-flat."

    The Ivory Child | H. Rider Haggard
  • The only additional suggestion is the new and original test, the so-called "em-them" test.

    The Critics Versus Shakspere | Francis A. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for them

them

/ (ðɛm, unstressed ðəm) /


pronoun
  1. (objective) refers to things or people other than the speaker or people addressed: I'll kill them; what happened to them?

  2. mainly US a dialect word for themselves they got them a new vice president

determiner
  1. a nonstandard word for those three of them oranges

Origin of them

1
Old English thǣm, influenced by Old Norse theim; related to Old Frisian thām, Old Saxon, Old High German thēm, Old Norse theimr, Gothic thaim

them

See me 1, they

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012