oneself

One should always take time to care for oneself.

Definition

1. Pronoun (reflexive):
   • The reflexive form of 'one': "oneself" refers to the person speaking or the person being referred to in a general or impersonal sense. It is used when the subject and object of a verb are the same, or to emphasize that an action is done by the person themselves.

Usage Examples

• Reflexive use:

  • One should be kind to oneself. (A person should treat their own self with kindness.)
  • It is important to take care of oneself. (A person must look after their own health and well-being.)

• Emphatic use:

  • One must do it oneself. (The action must be performed by the person themselves, not by someone else.)
  • The decision must be made by oneself. (The decision requires personal involvement without delegation.)

Advanced Usage

• "to come to oneself": to regain consciousness or recover one's composure.

  • After fainting, she slowly came to oneself. (She regained awareness and control of her mind.)

• "to think to oneself": to reflect or consider internally without speaking.

  • He thought to oneself, 'This is a difficult problem.' (He silently considered the situation.)

• "to keep to oneself": to stay alone or avoid social interaction.

  • She prefers to keep to oneself rather than join group activities. (She chooses solitude over company.)

Variants and Related Words

• Self (n): the essential being of a person, distinct from others.

  • He discovered his true self during the journey. (He found his authentic identity.)

• Selfish (adj): concerned primarily with one's own interests.

  • Being selfish means thinking only of oneself. (Prioritizing personal gain over others' needs.)

Synonyms

• Yourself: the reflexive form of 'you' (used for the second person).
• Himself/herself/itself: reflexive forms for specific genders or objects.
• One's own self: a phrase emphasizing personal identity.

Related Idioms

• By oneself: without help from others; alone.

  • She completed the project by oneself. (She did it without assistance.)

• In oneself: inherently or essentially.

  • The task is not difficult in oneself, but it requires patience. (The task is easy by its nature.)

• To oneself: privately or internally.

  • He kept the secret to oneself. (He did not share it with anyone.)