him

¹ American  

[him] / hɪm /

pronoun

1. the objective case of he, used as a direct or indirect object.

   I'll see him tomorrow. Give him the message.

2. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun he in the predicate after the verbto be ).

   It's him. It isn't him.

3. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun his before a gerund).

   We were surprised by him wanting to leave.

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noun

1. Informal. a male.

   Is the new baby a her or a him?

H.I.M. ² American  

abbreviation

1. His Imperial Majesty; Her Imperial Majesty.

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him ¹ British  

/ ɪm, hɪm /

pronoun

1. refers to a male person or animal

   they needed him

   she baked him a cake

   not him again!

2. a dialect word for himself

   he ought to find him a wife

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HIM ² British  

abbreviation

1. His ( or Her) Imperial Majesty

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Gender

See he ¹, me.

Etymology

Origin of him

before 900; Middle English, Old English, dative of hē he ¹

Example Sentences

Catherine is herself a gifted math scholar but had to give up her studies when her father’s mental health began to falter and she moved back home to take care of him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Altman proposed having OpenAI acquire or become a controlling shareholder in the company—a deal that would have put him in direct competition with Musk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Doctors were forced to sedate him and operate on him.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

He’s so funny and prolific and I like talking things out with him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

It happens now, when he looks up to find that, once again, I can’t stop myself from staring at him, and he suddenly glances down at the hose in his hand.

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