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yourself

American  
[yoor-self, yawr-, yohr-, yer-] / jʊərˈsɛlf, jɔr-, joʊr-, jər- /

pronoun

  • yourselves
    plural
  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. the reflexive form of you

    2. (intensifier)

      you yourself control your destiny

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

    you're not yourself these days

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

“If you’re gonna ingratiate yourself into the community, the first steps are the biggest ones, so having someone reluctantly sell to you is not the way to go,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 16, 2026

"If you have a good appearance, you might feel more confident, you might feel more like yourself, more comfortable," she says.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

Get help talking through the decisions and then do the transactions yourself.

From MarketWatch Aug. 14, 2026

He’s embraced the idea that you can be the youngest on a field and still be one of the best through hard work, dedication, preparation and a belief in yourself.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

“Only you see yourself as American,” she said.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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