herself

American  

[her-self] / hərˈsɛlf /

pronoun

1. an emphatic appositive of her or she.

   She herself wrote the letter.

2. a reflexive form of her.

   She supports herself.

3. (used in absolute constructions).

   Herself still only a child, she had to take care of her four younger brothers and sisters.

4. (used as the object of a preposition or as the direct or indirect object of a verb).

   She gave herself a facial massage. He asked her for a picture of herself.

5. (used in comparisons after as orthan ).

   She found out that the others were even more nervous than herself.

6. her normal or customary self.

   After a few weeks of rest, she will be herself again.

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herself British  

/ həˈsɛlf /

pronoun

1. 1. the reflexive form of she or her

   2. (intensifier)

      the queen herself signed the letter

2. (preceded by a copula) her normal or usual self

   she looks herself again after the operation

3. the wife or woman of the house

   is herself at home?

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Usage

See myself.

Etymology

Origin of herself

before 1000; Middle English hire-selfe, Old English hire self. See her, self

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

herself

It’s true that a woman who freezes her eggs and then decides to have a baby with them will have a biological advantage over the version of herself that did not undergo the procedure.

From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026

Ratchford kept to herself, she tells me, interacting only with people she absolutely trusted.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

But Parton consciously set out to transform herself into a pop star.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Is she in on the joke and committed to the bit or oblivious and just being herself?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

When she sees us, she excuses herself and comes over.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold