them

American  

[them, thuhm, uhm] / ðɛm, ðəm, əm /

pronoun

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

   We saw them yesterday. I gave them the books.

2. Informal. (used instead of the pronoun they in the predicate after the verbto be ): No, that isn’t them.

   It's them, across the street.

   No, that isn’t them.

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

   The boys' parents objected to them hiking without adult supervision.

4. the objective case of singular they, used as a direct or indirect object.

   1. (used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): If an officer were to ask you that question directly, you would have to answer them honestly.

      If you know anyone looking for a job, tell them to contact me.

      If an officer were to ask you that question directly, you would have to answer them honestly.

   2. (used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      I can’t believe your ex took your cat with them when they moved out.

   3. (used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).

      Randi’s on vacation, so you can’t see them until next week.

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adjective

1. Nonstandard. those.

   He don't want them books.

them British  

/ ðəm, ðɛm /

pronoun

1. (objective) refers to things or people other than the speaker or people addressed

   I'll kill them

   what happened to them?

2. a dialect word for themselves

   they got them a new vice president

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determiner

1. a nonstandard word for those

   three of them oranges

Grammar

See he ¹, me, they.

Etymology

Origin of them

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English theim, theym, from Old Norse theim “them” (dative); replacing Middle English tham(e), Old English thǣm, thām; cf. they

Example Sentences

Smaller producers benefit from participating in a less volatile crude market that allows them to enjoy a more consistent revenue stream.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

“They were patients. And they were failed—first by a corporation that valued revenue over life and then, in many cases, by a system that treated them as criminals rather than as people in medical crisis.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

That made them the third-most targeted religious group in the county, behind only people of Muslim and Jewish faith, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

But Bayern were unwilling to let the chance of a first Champions League title since 2020 get away from them as they fought back in fearsome fashion.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

I swallow her words and file them away, not sure if I’m ready to believe them.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• us
• you