yourself
Americanpronoun
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(an emphatic appositive of you orye ).
a letter you yourself wrote.
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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.
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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.
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(used in absolute constructions).
Yourself having so little money, how could they expect you to help?
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your normal or customary self.
You'll soon be yourself again.
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(used in place of you after as, than, orbut ).
scholars as famous as yourselves; a girl no older than yourself.
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oneself.
The surest way is to do it yourself.
pronoun
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the reflexive form of you
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(intensifier)
you yourself control your destiny
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(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; see origin at your, 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.
“Just because you’re getting old, don’t be afraid to push yourself a little bit,” Joyner says.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
“If you like ‘Love & Basketball’ and ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ and ‘Bring It On’ but you found yourself wondering, ‘Could this maybe be a little bit gayer?’
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
"As a visitor, you can immerse yourself in a jungle, 30 degrees and 80% humidity, and wander round the park here, seeing butterflies from all over the world."
From BBC • May 22, 2026
And one of the key strategies to defend yourself — in addition to telling them you need to talk to your lawyer — is to refuse to do anything based on inbound contact.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
“Even if it makes you uncomfortable. You need to think of yourself less.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
