Herself Meaning
/hɜːˈsɛlf/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
pronHer; the female object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject.
pronShe; an intensifier of the female subject or object, often used to indicate the directness or exclusiveness of that person .
Sentence Examples
Though she wished to travel abroad by herself, she thought better of it.
Lucy was beside herself with excitement.
She quickly positioned herself behind the desk.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Although she was tired, she made the whole chocolate cake by ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She decided to paint the entire living room by ____ instead of hiring professional painters.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English. Equivalent to her + -self.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer."
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"Lizzo, who is known for messages of self-love and wider acceptance, has recently said as much as she shared that she is encouraging a stance of body neutrality for herself and others."
— 2023 May 29, Madeline Holcombe, “Lizzo is teaching us about body neutrality. Here is what it means and how to get there”, in CNN:
"Was anyone hurted? Sure, they were just trailin' theirselves off the ground. Ye wud have died larfin'. There's Jimmy Hanlon was never his own man since, and I had me nose broke on me—I find it yet—and some says there was a wee girl from Tanderagee got herself killed."
— 1915, Charles L Graves, Humours of Irish life, pages 241-242:
"It is certain that Juan Diego was a virtuous man, who tried to direct his life along the road of righteousness, of honesty, of virtue, and to make all that pleased God bloom, who was chosen by the Mother of God Herself to be Her [i.e. the mother's] messenger."
— 2006, Eduardo Chávez, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego: The Historical Evidence, →ISBN:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Although she was tired, she made the whole chocolate cake by ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She decided to paint the entire living room by ____ instead of hiring professional painters.