them

[them, thuhm, uhm]

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.

adjective

1. Nonstandard.,  those.

   He don't want them books.

them

/ 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

determiner

1. a nonstandard word for those

   three of them oranges

Grammar Note

See he ¹, me, they.

Word History and Origins

Origin of them¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of them¹

Old English thǣm, influenced by Old Norse theim; related to Old Frisian thām, Old Saxon, Old High German thēm, Old Norse theimr, Gothic thaim

Example Sentences

The heyday of Britain’s Victorian empire spawned many larger-than-life personalities, but few of them rivaled Col.

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DCWP’s investigation, which began in 2022, found that Starbucks had unlawfully reduced employees’ hours, denied them the opportunity to pick up additional shifts, and failed to give its employees regular schedules.

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There were some funny folks who got up onstage, but Cash shouted out to them, “You don’t need to be funny! This is just clearing!”

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As I traced one of them with my finger, he answered simply that he’d had an operation on his nerves.

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When “two velcro patches” were found to be missing from the jacket, two agents removed their own patches and “ran” them over to Patel’s aircraft.

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