Definition

1. Pronoun:

   • A male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified: Used to refer to a male person or animal that is the subject of a clause or sentence.
   • Any person (generic): In some contexts, used to refer to a person whose gender is unspecified or unknown, though this usage is now often considered dated or non-inclusive.

2. Noun:

   • A male person or animal: A man, boy, or male animal.
   • (In combination): Used in compounds to denote a male, e.g., he-goat.

Examples of Usage

• Pronoun:

  • John said he would be late. (Refers back to the male person 'John'.)
  • Look at that dog. He is very friendly. (Refers to a male animal.)
  • If anyone calls, tell him I'm busy. (Traditional generic use referring to a person of unspecified gender.)

• Noun:

  • Is the kitten a he or a she? (Asks about the sex of the animal.)
  • The story has a hero, and the he of the tale is very brave. (Refers to the male character.)

Advanced Usage

• "He who..." / "He that...": A formal or literary construction meaning 'the person who'.
  • He who hesitates is lost. (The person who hesitates will fail.)
• Generic "he": Historically used to mean 'a person' (of any gender). Modern usage often prefers 'they', 'he or she', or restructuring the sentence.
  • A doctor should listen to his patients. (Traditional generic. Modern: A doctor should listen to their patients.)

Variants and Related Words

• Him (objective pronoun): The object form of 'he'.
  • I gave the book to him.
• His (possessive adjective/pronoun): Shows possession.
  • That is his car. (Adjective) / The car is his. (Pronoun)
• Himself (reflexive pronoun): Used when the subject and object are the same male person/animal, or for emphasis.
  • He cut himself. (Reflexive) / He himself said it. (Emphatic)
• He- (prefix): Used to form nouns denoting a male animal.
  • he-wolf, he-ass

Synonyms

• That man: Used to point out a specific male.
• The male: Used in a biological or general context.
• The gentleman: A more formal term for a man.

Related Phrases

• He-man: (noun, informal) A man who is very strong, muscular, or virile.
  • He exercises every day to look like a he-man.
• He said, she said: (idiomatic phrase) A situation involving conflicting reports from a man and a woman, or from two opposing parties.
  • The argument devolved into a he said, she said scenario with no resolution.

Related Idioms

• He who laughs last laughs longest: (Proverb) The person who succeeds in the end, after others have doubted or mocked, gains the greatest satisfaction.
  • Don't worry about their criticism now. Remember, he who laughs last laughs longest.
• He's all talk (and no action): (Idiom) Said about a man who makes promises or boasts but does not do what he says.
  • Don't rely on him to fix it; he's all talk.

Noun

1. the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
2. a very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; the most difficult gas to liquefy; occurs in economically extractable amounts in certain natural gases (as those found in Texas and Kansas)