yourself
Americanpronoun
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(an emphatic appositive of you orye ).
a letter you yourself wrote.
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a reflexive form of you (used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition).
Don't blame yourself. Did you ever ask yourself “why”? You can think for yourself.
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Informal. (used in place of you, especially in compound subjects, objects, and complements).
Ted and yourself have been elected. We saw your sister and yourself at the game. People like yourselves always feel like that.
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(used in absolute constructions).
Yourself having so little money, how could they expect you to help?
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your normal or customary self.
You'll soon be yourself again.
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(used in place of you after as, than, orbut ).
scholars as famous as yourselves; a girl no older than yourself.
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oneself.
The surest way is to do it yourself.
pronoun
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the reflexive form of you
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(intensifier)
you yourself control your destiny
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(preceded by a copula) your normal or usual self
you're not yourself these days
Usage
See myself.
Etymology
Origin of yourself
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at your, self
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.
The chunky piano house groove even includes a callback to Madonna's Express Yourself.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Raman then went on the dance floor to greet well-wishers, pumping her fist while a DJ blasted Daft Punk’s “Lose Yourself to Dance.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
In this week’s Don’t Short Yourself newsletter, Genna Contino shared a simple tip on how to get better prices on airline tickets.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Other big winners on the night included Kae Tempest, whose tracks I Stand on the Line + Know Yourself split the vote for best contemporary song.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Right now, he’s reading Finding Yourself by Screaming a Lot, and the other night, when I heard the most awful noise coming from the basement, I didn’t even bat an eyelid.
From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
