himself

American  

[him-self, im-self] / hɪmˈsɛlf, ɪmˈsɛlf /

pronoun

1. an emphatic appositive of him or he.

   He himself spoke to the men.

2. a reflexive form of him.

   He cut himself.

3. (used in absolute constructions).

   Himself the soul of honor, he included many rascals among his intimates.

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

   The old car had room only for himself and three others.

5. (used in comparisons after as orthan ).

   His wife is as stingy as himself.

6. his normal or customary self.

   He is himself again.

7. Irish English. a man of importance, especially the master of the house.

   Himself will be wanting an early dinner.

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himself British  

/ ɪmˈsɛlf, hɪmˈsɛlf /

pronoun

1. 1. the reflexive form of he or him

   2. (intensifier)

      the king himself waved to me

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

   he seems himself once more

3. the man of the house

   how is himself?

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Usage

See myself.

Etymology

Origin of himself

before 900; Middle English him selven, Old English him selfum, dative singular of hē self he himself; see him, self

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

himself

If you do pass away before your spouse, he will likely have saved significantly more money than if he had stayed single and paid all of those expenses himself.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Douglass himself had an acute sense of the politics of memory.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

"Turing died when he was only 41, and in those years running up to his death, he was trying to understand himself and his world," Dillon added.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The second watch, I accepted that Refn had made a movie mostly for himself and I had a better time with it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Clare filled two copper teacups and called behind himself, “Would you like fresh tree sap in your tea?”

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman