themselves

pronoun
UK: /ðəmˈselvz/
US: /ðəmˈselvz/

  1. Used to refer to a group of people, animals, or things that are the subject of the verb.

    1. They built the house themselves. [ ] [ ]
    2. The students organized themselves into study groups to prepare for the exam. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to emphasize that a group of people, animals, or things did something without help.

    1. The children made the cookies themselves. [ ] [ ]
    2. The athletes pushed themselves to the limit during the intense training session. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is a group of people, animals, or things.

    1. They bought themselves new bicycles. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cats were grooming themselves in the afternoon sunlight near the window. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "themselves" in English means: Used to refer to a group of people, animals, or things that are the subject of the verb., Used to emphasize that a group of people, animals, or things did something without help., Used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is a group of people, animals, or things..

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

Example usage of "themselves": "They built the house themselves.". More examples on the page.