- objective of thou.
you
Americanpronoun
-
you,
plural
-
your,
possessive
-
yours
possessive
-
the pronoun of the second person singular or plural, used of the person or persons being addressed, in the nominative or objective case.
You are the highest bidder. It is you who are to blame. We can't help you. This package came for you. Did she give you the book?
-
one; anyone; people in general.
a tiny animal you can't even see.
-
(used in apposition with the subject of a sentence, sometimes repeated for emphasis following the subject).
You children pay attention. You rascal, you!
-
Informal. (used in place of the pronoun your before a gerund).
There's no sense in you getting upset.
-
Archaic.
-
yourself; yourselves.
Get you home. Make you ready.
-
a plural form of the pronoun ye.
-
noun
-
yous
plural
-
something or someone closely identified with or resembling the person addressed.
Don't buy the bright red shirt—it just isn't you. It was like seeing another you.
-
the nature or character of the person addressed.
Try to discover the hidden you.
pronoun
-
refers to the person addressed or to more than one person including the person or persons addressed but not including the speaker
you know better
the culprit is among you
-
Also: one. refers to an unspecified person or people in general
you can't tell the boys from the girls
-
a dialect word for yourself or yourselves See yourself
you should get you a wife now
noun
-
informal the personality of the person being addressed or something that expresses it
that hat isn't really you
-
a thing or person that the speaker cannot or does not want to specify
Usage
In American English the pronoun you has been supplemented by additional forms to make clear the distinction between singular and plural. You-all is a widespread spoken form in the South Midland and Southern United States. A closely related monosyllabic form is written y'all and is used both in and outside of the South Midland and Southern United States, evoking a familiar and informal tone rather than indicating a regional identity. The possessive forms for these are often you-all's and y'all's, respectively, rather than your. You-uns (from you + ones ) is a South Midland form most often found in nonstandard speech; it is being replaced by you-all or y'all. Youse ( you + the plural -s ending of nouns), probably of Irish-American origin, is most common in the North, especially in urban centers like Boston, New York, and Chicago. It is rare in educated speech. You guys is a common informal expression used for plural you. It does not have a strong regional or dialectal association, but its usage is in flux among some populations of speakers. People who adopted plural you guys in the 1980s and 90s may use it as a gender-neutral plural, referring to any group without regard to sex or even a group of women only. Younger speakers and politically progressive speakers are more likely to perceive you guys as gendered and problematically noninclusive of trans and nonbinary people, and as such tend to avoid its use. See also me.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of you
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ēow (dative, accusative of gē ye 1 ); cognate with Old Frisian ju, Old Saxon iu, Dutch u, Old High German iu, eu
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“You should remember you only get attention as a company if you matter,” Ostrover said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The tragedy has heightened community concerns, the neighbors said, because it forced one to realize "that you don't know who you are living next to."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It started with this idea of, how can you continue to address the issues and add an element that surprises the audience,” Robert said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
But when you grow up, you’re stuck with a birthday dinner.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
By layering and connecting billions of neurons, you get a brain.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Speeches that deviate from the ubiquitous laundry list of thank yous always get more attention, whether they’re political or not, for the simple reason that they’re so dang unusual.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
The black-clad, 23-year-old singer-songwriter barely spoke to the audience, uttering only a couple of thank yous during one of two solo performances at the venue this past weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
It's a rare flash of humour from the frontman, whose onstage utterings are mostly limited to mumbled "thank yous".
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
They kissed and exchanged I love yous; Joe shuffled to the door.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2023
Milkman slumped over the crate and caught his breath, barely able to nod to the old man’s thank yous.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
But rest assured, we’ll be back in your inbox with more wild happenings on Monday.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
So here we go, I've ranked mine below - you can have your say in the comments, too.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Click here to have the full report sent to your inbox when it goes live.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
What you choose to do with its charred femur is between you and your God.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
It looks as if your cortex was folded up quickly and stuffed in any old way, but the truth is that every human brain is folded in exactly the same way.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
While we’re on the subject of shirts, let me ask about yours, Michael.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
You mention that, unlike some of your friends’ kids, yours don’t have access to specific resources.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Passwords have not been stolen, so be highly suspicious of any unsolicited text or email asking you to change or share yours," said Trevor Dearing, Senior Director of Critical Infrastructure at Illumio.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
It’s cozy and low-effort enough to make on repeat for just you and yours, but substantial — and just showy enough — to answer a last-minute “Come over for dinner!” text, too.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
“Who is she to decide such matters? It is yours, is it not?”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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