himself
Americanpronoun
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an emphatic appositive of him or he.
He himself spoke to the men.
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a reflexive form of him.
He cut himself.
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(used in absolute constructions).
Himself the soul of honor, he included many rascals among his intimates.
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(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.
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(used in comparisons after as orthan ).
His wife is as stingy as himself.
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his normal or customary self.
He is himself again.
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Irish English. a man of importance, especially the master of the house.
Himself will be wanting an early dinner.
pronoun
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the reflexive form of he or him
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(intensifier)
the king himself waved to me
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(preceded by a copula) his normal or usual self
he seems himself once more
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the man of the house
how is himself?
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yamamoto righted himself by retiring the next 11 batters he faced, but the Dodgers lost for the third time in four games.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
The movie’s appeal rests in large part on its re-creation of iconic performances by the Jackson 5 and Michael himself, including “ABC,” “Thriller” and “Bad.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
"Taylor was such an energetic presence, he just brought himself so much."
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
In addition to an extensive leadership shake-up that included the appointment of DeVedyt himself, UnitedHealth has sought to recover margins in its Medicare Advantage business, the government-subsidized health insurance program for seniors.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
He saw a vision of himself tending to his mushroom garden.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
