ourselves

ourselves
[[t]aʊə(r)se̱lvz[/t]]
♦♦♦
(Ourselves is the first person plural reflexive pronoun.)
1) PRON-REFL: v PRON, prep PRON You use ourselves to refer to yourself and one or more other people as a group.

We sat round the fire to keep ourselves warm...

It was the first time we admitted to ourselves that we were tired.

2) PRON-REFL: v PRON, prep PRON A speaker or writer sometimes uses ourselves to refer to people in general. Ourselves is used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject refers to the same people.

We all know that when we exert ourselves our heart rate increases.

3) PRON-REFL-EMPH (emphasis) You use ourselves to emphasize a first person plural subject. In more formal English, ourselves is sometimes used instead of `us' as the object of a verb or preposition, for emphasis.

Others are feeling just the way we ourselves would feel in the same situation...

The people who will suffer won't be people like ourselves.

4) PRON-REFL-EMPH If you say something such as `We did it ourselves', you are indicating that the people you are referring to did it, rather than anyone else.

We villagers built that ourselves, we had no help from anyone.

5) by ourselvessee by

English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • ourselves — [ourselvz′; ärselvz′] pron. [LME ure selves, for Midland ure selven, replacing us selven, lit., us selves] a form of WE, used: a) as an intensifier [we ourselves saw it] b) as a reflexive [we hurt ourselves] c) with the meaning “our real, true,… …   English World dictionary

  • Ourselves — Our*selves , pron.; sing. {Ourself} (?). An emphasized form of the pronoun of the first person plural; used as a subject, usually with we; also, alone in the predicate, in the nominative or the objective case. [1913 Webster] We ourselves might… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ourselves — may refer to: Sinn Féin, a series of Irish political movements in the 20th century. (song), a single by J pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki which contains the song Ourselves. ourselves (album), an album by band 7 Seconds. This disambiguation page lists… …   Wikipedia

  • ourselves — ► PRONOUN (first person pl. ) 1) used as the object of a verb or preposition when this is the same as the subject of the clause and the subject is the speaker and one or more other people considered together. 2) (emphatic ) we or us personally …   English terms dictionary

  • ourselves — our|selves [ aur selvz ] pronoun *** Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun, being the reflexive form of we. It can be used especially in the following ways: as an object that refers to the same people who are the subject of the sentence or who are… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • ourselves */*/*/ — UK [aʊə(r)ˈselvz] / US [aʊrˈselvz] pronoun Summary: Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun, being the reflexive form of we. It can be used especially in the following ways: as an object that refers to the same people who are the subject of the sentence …   English dictionary

  • ourselves — /ahr selvz , oweur , ow euhr /, pron.pl. 1. a reflexive form of we (used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or the direct object of a preposition): We are deceiving ourselves. Give us a moment to ourselves. 2. (used as an intensive with… …   Universalium

  • ourselves — our|selves W3S1 [auəˈselvz US aur ] pron 1.) used by the person speaking to show that they and one or more other people are affected by their own action ▪ We prepared ourselves for the long journey ahead. ▪ It was strange seeing ourselves on… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • ourselves — pronoun 1 the reflexive form of we : It was strange seeing ourselves on television. | We all introduced ourselves before the meeting started. 2 used to emphasize the pronoun we, a plural noun etc: Not many people realise we built the house… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • ourselves*/*/ — [aʊəˈselvz] pronoun 1) the REFLEXIVE form of ‘we , used for showing that both you and the group that you are a part of are affected by what you do together We kept ourselves awake by playing card games.[/ex] We are doing this for ourselves and… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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