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

For one job not long after her divorce in 2022, she found herself standing in front of a driving-school classroom of more than 40 teenagers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

When the Architectural Digest perfection of her well-heeled and emotionally confident life is shattered by tragic loss, Stacy literally does not know what to do with herself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Roberts similarly warned his colleagues that “the comments of the E.P.A. administrator herself indicate that without immediate action from this court, this rule will become functionally irreversible.”

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

"All of these wealth of prizes and opportunities that have materialised has come, we would suggest, because Ms MacInnes decided to tie herself to Ms Ghost's version."

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

“But yeah, whatever,” Sela said quickly, as if she’d shown too much of herself to a not-friend like me.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith