yourself
[y
oo
r-
self
, yawr-, yohr-, yer-]
/yʊərˈsɛlf, yɔr-, yoʊr-, yər-/
pronoun
,
plural
yourselves
[y
oo
r-
selvz
, yawr-, yohr-, yer-]
/yʊərˈsɛlvz, yɔr-, yoʊr-, yər-/
(
Show IPA
)
1.
(an emphatic appositive of
you
or
ye
):
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,
or
but
):
scholars as famous as yourselves; a girl no older than yourself.
7.
oneself:
The surest way is to do it yourself.
Origin
1275-1325;
Middle English;
see
your
,
self
Usage note
See
myself.
Examples from the web for
yourself
If you listen at a hole, you will hear ill of
yourself
as well as others.
The best good that you can possibly achieve is not good enough if you have to strain
yourself
all the time to reach it.
Change but the name, and the story is told of
yourself
.
Gird up the loins, brace
yourself
for vigorous action, or energetic endurance.
In a few moments you roll
yourself
in their soft wool.
Wrap
yourself
in your own virtue, and seek a friend and your daily bread.
Use the first paragraph of the cover letter to introduce
yourself
and explain why you're writing in the first place.
But these days, my company dinners consist of do-it-
yourself
dishes, with my guests pitching in.
We want to know that you actually enjoy teaching and that you have some idea what you're getting
yourself
into on our campus.
Among the extraordinarily gifted, you had to present
yourself
as a solitary genius.
British Dictionary definitions for
yourself
yourself
/
jɔːˈsɛlf;
jʊə-
/
pronoun
(
pl
)
-selves
1.
the reflexive form of
you
(intensifier):
you yourself control your destiny
2.
(
preceded by a copula
) your normal or usual self:
you're not yourself these days
Word Origin and History for
yourself
by early 14c., from
your
+
self
. Plural
yourselves
first recorded 1520s.