the reflexive form of she or her (intensifier): the queen herself signed the letter - (preceded by a copula)
her normal or usual self: she looks herself again after the operation a wife or female head of a household: is herself at home?
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
her•self /hɚˈsɛlf/USA pronunciation
pron.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Pronounsthe form of the pronoun she, a reflexive pronoun, used to show that the subject of the sentence and this pronoun (a direct object, indirect object, or an object of a preposition) refer to the same female person:Anne supports herself (= Anne supports Anne).
- (used to give emphasis): The queen herself wrote the letter.
- Pronouns(used in place of she or her in various constructions where it is clear from some previous discussion who the female is):The producer and herself were not on speaking terms. (= The producer and some female we were talking about recently were not on speaking terms).
- her normal or customary self:After a few weeks of rest, she will be herself again.
her•self
(hər self′),USA pronunciation pron.
- an emphatic appositive of her or she: She herself wrote the letter.
- a reflexive form of her: She supports herself.
- (used in absolute constructions):Herself still only a child, she had to take care of her four younger brothers and sisters.
- (used as the object of a preposition or as the direct or indirect object of a verb):She gave herself a facial massage. He asked her for a picture of herself.
- (used in comparisons after as or than):She found out that the others were even more nervous than herself.
- her normal or customary self:After a few weeks of rest, she will be herself again.
- Middle English hire-selfe, Old English hire self. See her, self bef. 1000
- See myself.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
to extract or remove to obtain or secure (a licence, patent, etc) from an authority to go out with; escort to bid a different suit from (one's partner) in order to rescue him or her from a difficult contract to kill or destroy to win, esp in sport - take it out of, take a lot out of ⇒
to sap the energy or vitality of - take out on ⇒
to vent (anger, frustration, etc) on (esp an innocent person) - take someone out of himself, herself ⇒
to make someone forget his or her anxieties, problems, etc
of or designating a conventional informatory bid, asking one's partner to bid another suit sold for consumption away from the premises on which it is prepared: a takeout meal preparing and selling food for consumption away from the premises: a takeout Indian restaurant
a shop or restaurant that sells such food a meal bought at such a shop or restaurant
'she herself' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):