herself

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Definition

1. Reflexive pronoun (third person singular feminine):
   • Used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is the same female person or animal: "herself" refers back to the subject of the clause, indicating that the action is performed by and upon the same female entity.
   • Emphatic use: "herself" can be placed immediately after the noun or pronoun it refers to, or at the end of a clause, to emphasize that the female person in question, and no one else, is involved.

Usage Examples

• Reflexive use:
  • She hurt herself while gardening. (The subject "she" and the object "herself" are the same person — she caused the injury to her own body.)
  • She prepared herself for the exam. (She made her own mind and body ready.)
• Emphatic use:
  • The queen herself attended the ceremony. (Emphasizes that the queen, not a representative, was present.)
  • She built the house herself. (Emphasizes that she did it alone, without help.)

Advanced Usage

• "by herself": alone or without company; without help.
  • She prefers to eat by herself. (She eats alone, without others.)
  • She solved the problem by herself. (She solved it without assistance.)
• "not herself": not in her usual state of health or mood; feeling unwell or upset.
  • She hasn't been herself since the accident. (She is acting unusually or feeling ill.)
• "to herself": privately; not shared with others.
  • She kept the secret to herself. (She did not tell anyone.)

Variants and Related Words

• Self (n): the essential being of a person, distinct from others.
  • She needs time to find her true self. (Her authentic identity.)
• Selfish (adj): concerned primarily with one's own interests.
  • She acted selfishly, thinking only of herself. (She cared only about her own needs.)

Synonyms

• Herself (reflexive): no direct synonym; it is a unique grammatical form.
• Emphatic herself: , (e.g., )
• Alone (for "by herself"): , .

Related Idioms

• "to be beside herself": to be extremely upset or agitated.
  • She was beside herself with grief. (She was overwhelmed by sorrow.)
• "to keep herself to herself": to avoid socializing; to be reserved.
  • She prefers to keep herself to herself. (She stays private and does not interact much.)