yourself

American  

[yoor-self, yawr-, yohr-, yer-] / yʊərˈsɛlf, yɔr-, yoʊr-, yər- /

pronoun

plural

yourselves

1. (an emphatic appositive of you orye ).

   a letter you yourself wrote.

2. a reflexive form of you (used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition).

   Don't blame yourself. Did you ever ask yourself “why”? You can think for yourself.

3. Informal. (used in place of you, especially in compound subjects, objects, and complements).

   Ted and yourself have been elected. We saw your sister and yourself at the game. People like yourselves always feel like that.

4. (used in absolute constructions).

   Yourself having so little money, how could they expect you to help?

5. your normal or customary self.

   You'll soon be yourself again.

6. (used in place of you after as, than, orbut ).

   scholars as famous as yourselves; a girl no older than yourself.

7. oneself.

   The surest way is to do it yourself.

---

yourself British  

/ jɔːˈsɛlf, jʊə- /

pronoun

1. 1. the reflexive form of you

   2. (intensifier)

      you yourself control your destiny

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

   you're not yourself these days

---

Usage

See myself.

Etymology

Origin of yourself

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; your, self

Example Sentences

If you feel guilty, you have already given yourself the answer.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

"It was similar to SEO, positioning yourself as an expert in these areas and making sure you're giving the LLMs everything they need to provide a thorough and conclusive answer," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

As far as handicaps go, if you are sweeping your putts, you’re only hurting yourself and no one else…keep it enjoyable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Upon landing, "take an inventory of yourself to figure out, what condition am I in? Can I even move? Am I even mobile?"

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“You’ve made a name for yourself after that performance, that’s for sure.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam