herself

pronoun
UK: /hɜːˈself/
US: /hɜːrˈself/

  1. The reflexive form of 'she', used when the subject and object of a verb are the same person.

    1. She bought herself a new dress. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cat groomed herself meticulously after her nap in the sun. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to emphasize 'she', indicating that she is the person doing something, and not anyone else.

    1. She herself baked the cake. [ ] [ ]
    2. The queen herself decided to visit the small village next week. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used by a woman to refer to her normal or usual state of body or mind.

    1. She hasn't been herself lately. [ ] [ ]
    2. After a good night's sleep, she finally felt like herself again. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "herself" in English means: The reflexive form of 'she', used when the subject and object of a verb are the same person., Used to emphasize 'she', indicating that she is the person doing something, and not anyone else., Used by a woman to refer to her normal or usual state of body or mind..

The phonetic transcription of "herself" is /hɜːˈself/ in British English and /hɜːrˈself/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "herself": "She bought herself a new dress.". More examples on the page.