Your self is your basic personality or nature, especially considered in terms of what you are really like as a person.
You're looking more like your usual self.
She was back to her old self again.
Synonyms: personality, character, temperament, identity More Synonyms of self
2. countable noun [usually adjective NOUN]
A person's self is the essential part of their nature which makes them different from everyone and everything else.
I want to explore and get in touch with my inner self.
The face is the true self visible to others.
...our subconscious selves.
Synonyms: soul, spirit, psyche, heart of hearts More Synonyms of self
self-
(self-)
1. combining form
Self- is used to form words which indicate that you do something to yourself or by yourself.
He is a self-proclaimed expert in the field of economics.
...self-destructive behaviour.
She was a woman utterly without self-knowledge.
2. combining form
Self- is used to form words which describe something such as a device that does something automatically by itself.
...a self-loading pistol.
self in British English
(sɛlf)
nounWord forms: pluralselves (sɛlvz)
1.
the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing
2.
a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics
she looked her old self again
3. good self
4.
one's own welfare or interests
he only thinks of self
5.
an individual's consciousness of his or her own identity or being
6. the self
7.
a bird, animal, etc, that is a single colour throughout, esp a self-coloured pigeon
pronoun
8. not standard
myself, yourself, etc
note to self: keep on smiling!
adjective
9.
of the same colour or material
a dress with a self belt
See also self-coloured
10. obsolete
the same
Word origin
Old English seolf; related to Old Norse sjālfr, Gothic silba, Old High German selb
self- in British English
combining form
1.
of oneself or itself
self-defence
self-rule
2.
by, to, in, due to, for, or from the self
self-employed
self-inflicted
self-respect
3.
automatic or automatically
self-propelled
self in American English
(sɛlf)
nounWord forms: pluralselves
1.
the identity, character, or essential qualities of any person or thing
2.
one's own person as distinct from all others
3.
one's own welfare, interest, or advantage; selfishness
obsessed with self
pronoun
4. Informal
myself, himself, herself, or yourself
tickets for self and wife
adjective
5.
being uniform or the same throughout
6.
of the same kind, nature, color, material, etc. as the rest
a self lining, self trim
Word origin
ME < OE, prob. < IE *selo- < base *se-, refl. pron., orig. separate, apart (> L sibi, se) + *(o)lo-, pron. suffix: basic sense “itself, by itself”
self- in American English
(sɛlf)
1.
of oneself or itself
refers to the direct object of the implied transitive verb
self-love, self-restraint
2.
by oneself or itself
refers to the subject of the implied verb
self-acting
3.
in, within, or inherent in oneself or itself
self-absorption, self-evident
4.
to, for, or with oneself
often refers to the indirect object of the implied transitive verb
self-addressed
5.
automatic
self-loading
6.
of the same material throughout
self-belted
▶ USAGE: Used in hyphenated compounds
Word origin
ME < OE < self: see self
More idioms containing
self
a shadow of someone's or something's former self
COBUILD Collocations
self
authentic self
young self
Examples of 'self' in a sentence
self
Putting your real self into a relationship instead of just wanting to please will deepen love.
The Sun (2008)
We feel like our old selves again.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Initially he was acting in self defence.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Now they were back to their old selves.
The Sun (2012)
Your elephant cannot get over its self.
Stanley Bing THROWING THE ELEPHANT (2002)
The use of defense mechanisms to protect self is a normal human reaction.
Siann, Gerda & Ugwuegbu, Denis C. E. Educational Psychology in a Changing World (1988)
When he watched that audition tape he found himself unexpectedly forgiving of his young self.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
She was a shadow of her former self.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Do you feel the need to hide your true self in person?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You can be your true and best self and live the life that is right for you.
The Sun (2008)
Giving them a sense that they are contributing to something bigger than the self is essential.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Love that lets you be your real self makes a relationship special.
The Sun (2013)
We can kick on and be our normal selves again.
The Sun (2009)
He claims he acted in self defence.
The Sun (2010)
Her old self is barely visible under deep layers of padding.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The mood of reflection lasted half a day and then he was back to his usual ebullient self.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Your thoughts, feelings and emotions are to the fore and your usual practical self takes a back seat.
The Sun (2016)
Art gave me a sense of self and identity, which I used to remove anxiety.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
If they that self- belief it it very difficult.
The Sun (2008)
Confidence is building and self- belief growing.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
How we dress reflects our self- esteem and our frame of mind.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The self- employed are not eligible.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Sympathy does not vanish, but it yields pride of place to the rational self- interest of individuals.
Stewart Lamont WHEN SCOTLAND RULED THE WORLD: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativityand Exploration (2002)
Those with fewer friends were more likely to suffer low self- esteem, sadness and problems with eating or sleeping.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You have to be self- employed, and this is not only happening to you but the youth of today who cannot find a job.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Word lists with
self
Psychology terms
In other languages
self
British English: self NOUN
Your self is your own personality or nature.
You're looking more like your usual self.
American English: self
Brazilian Portuguese: personalidade
Chinese: 自身
European Spanish: uno mismo
French: soi-même
German: Selbst
Italian: personalità
Japanese: 自分
Korean: 자신
European Portuguese: personalidade
Latin American Spanish: uno mismo
All related terms of 'self'
good self
a polite way of referring to or addressing a person (or persons), used following your, his, her, or their
self-harm
If you self-harm , you deliberately hurt yourself, for example by cutting yourself, because of mental illness .
self-hate
a feeling of intense dislike for oneself
self-help
Self-help consists of people providing support and help for each other in an informal way, rather than relying on the government , authorities , or other official organizations .
self-love
the instinct or tendency to seek one's own well-being or to further one's own interest
self-made
Self-made is used to describe people who have become successful and rich through their own efforts, especially if they started life without money, education , or high social status.
self-pity
Self-pity is a feeling of unhappiness that you have about yourself and your problems , especially when this is unnecessary or greatly exaggerated.
self-rule
Self-rule is the same as → self-government .
self-same
You use self-same when you want to emphasize that the person or thing mentioned is exactly the same as the one mentioned previously.
self-sown
(of plants) growing from seed dispersed by any means other than by the agency of humans or animals
self-talk
the act or practice of talking to oneself, either aloud or silently and mentally
self-test
a diagnostic test that a computer performs on itself
self-will
Someone's self-will is their determination to do what they want without caring what other people think .
the self
that which is essential to an individual, esp the mind or soul in Cartesian metaphysics ; the ego
higher self
a person's spiritual self , as the focus of many meditation techniques, as opposed to the physical body
inner self
a person's true or internal mind, soul , or nature
second self
a person so intimately associated with another as to have taken on many of that person's personality traits , attitudes , beliefs , etc.
self-abuse
disparagement or misuse of one's own abilities , etc
self-access
In a school or college , a self-access centre is a place where students can choose and use books, tapes , or other materials.
self-acting
not requiring an external influence or control to function; automatic
self-aware
Someone who is self-aware knows and judges their own character well .
self-belay
a method of preventing oneself from falling by using a controlled rope
self-belief
Self-belief is confidence in your own abilities or judgment .
self-build
the practice of building one's own home
self-built
the practice of building one's own home
self-denial
Self-denial is the habit of refusing to do or have things that you would like , either because you cannot afford them, or because you believe it is morally good for you not to do them or have them.
self-doubt
Self-doubt is a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities.
self-drive
A self-drive car is one which you hire and drive yourself.
self-esteem
Your self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. For example , if you have low self-esteem , you do not like yourself, you do not think that you are a valuable person, and therefore you do not behave confidently.
self-feeder
any machine or device capable of automatically supplying materials when and where they are needed , esp one for making measured quantities of food constantly available to farm livestock
self-hating
harbouring feelings of self-hatred
self-hatred
a feeling of intense dislike for oneself
self-ignite
to ignite or catch fire spontaneously without any external spark or flame
self-image
Your self-image is the set of ideas you have about your own qualities and abilities .
self-injury
the act of deliberately injuring oneself, usually in response to emotional distress
self-moving
moving or able to move under its own power , or of itself
self-murder
suicide
self-parody
Self-parody is a way of performing or behaving in which you exaggerate and make fun of the way you normally perform or behave.
self-praise
the act or an instance of expressing commendation for oneself
self-pride
pride in one's status , possessions , etc; self-esteem
self-regard
concern for one's own interest
self-ruling
of or relating to self-rule
self-seeded
(of plants) growing from seed dispersed by any means other than by the agency of humans or animals
self-seeker
a person who seeks only or mainly to further his or her own interests
self-serve
→ self-service
self-study
Self-study is study that you do on your own, without a teacher.
self-styled
If you describe someone as a self-styled leader or expert , you disapprove of them because they claim to be a leader or expert but they do not actually have the right to call themselves this.
self-taught
If you are self-taught , you have learned a skill by yourself rather than being taught it by someone else such as a teacher at school.
self-tender
an offer by a company to buy back some or all of its shares from its shareholders , esp as a protection against an unwelcome takeover bid
self-timer
a mechanism in a camera that operates a delay between the operation of the shutter release and the opening of the shutter, enabling the photographer to be included in the photograph
Chinese translation of 'self'
self
(sɛlf)
Word forms:plselves
n
the self (= ego) 自身 (zìshēn)
I feel my old or normal self again我感到和以前一模一样(樣) (wǒ gǎndào hé yǐqián yī mú yī yàng)
All related terms of 'self'
the self
( ego ) 自身 zìshēn
self-harm
自残(殘) zì cán
self-pity
自怜(憐) zìlián
self-drive
▶ a self-drive car 由承租人驾(駕)驶(駛)的车(車) yóu chéngzūrén jiàshǐ de chē
self-esteem
自尊心 zìzūnxīn
self-rising
[ 英 = self-raising ]
self-assured
自信的 zìxìn de
self-catering
( holiday, accommodation ) 自供伙食的 zìgōng huǒshí de
self-centred
以自我为(為)中心的 yǐ zìwǒ wéi zhōngxīn de
self-conscious
容易难(難)为(為)情的 róngyì nánwéiqíng de
self-contained
( flat ) 有独(獨)立设(設)施的 yǒu dúlì shèshī de
self-control
自制力 zìzhìlì
self-defence
自卫(衛) zìwèi
self-employed
个(個)体(體)的 gètǐ de
self-indulgent
放纵(縱)自己的 fàngzòng zìjǐ de
self-interest
自身利益 zìshēn lìyì
self-raising
[ 美 = self-rising ]
self-respect
自尊心 zìzūnxīn
self-service
( shop, restaurant, garage ) 自助的 zìzhù de
self-confidence
自信心 zìxìnxīn
self-discipline
自我约(約)束 zìwǒ yuēshù
in self-defence
出于(於)自卫(衛) chūyú zìwèi
a self-drive car
由承租人驾(駕)驶(駛)的车(車) yóu chéngzūrén jiàshǐ de chē
self-raising flour
自发(發)面(麵)粉 zìfā miànfěn
self-rising flour
自发(發)面(麵)粉 zìfā miànfěn
the self-employed
个(個)体(體)户(戶) gètǐhù
a self-drive holiday
自己租车(車)驾(駕)驶(駛)的旅行 zìjǐ zūchē jiàshǐ de lǚxíng
to be self-conscious about sth
极(極)为(為)在意某事 jíwéi zàiyì mǒushì
to have low/high self-esteem
自尊心差/强(強) zìzūnxīn chà/qiáng
I feel my old or normal self again
我感到和以前一模一样(樣) wǒ gǎndào hé yǐqián yī mú yī yàng
SASE
self-addressed stamped envelope 贴(貼)足邮(郵)资(資)写(寫)明发(發)信人自己的姓名地址的回信信封 tiēzú yóuzī xiěmíng fāxìnrén zìjǐ de xìngmíng dìzhǐ de huíxìn xìnfēng [ 英 = s.a.e. ]
1 (noun)
Definition
a person's typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics
She was back to her old self again.
Synonyms
personality
She has such a kind, friendly personality.
character
There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.
temperament
His impulsive temperament regularly got him into difficulties.
identity
I wanted a sense of my own identity.
temper
He's known for his placid temper.
disposition
his friendly and cheerful disposition
individuality
People should be free to express their individuality and style.
2 (noun)
Definition
the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing
I want to explore and get in touch with my inner self.
Synonyms
soul
Such memories stirred in his soul.
spirit
The human spirit is virtually indestructible.
psyche
Knowledge of the human psyche has advanced immeasurably since Freud.
heart of hearts
innermost feelings
inner person
related words
related maniasegomaniamegalomania
Additional synonyms
in the sense of character
Definition
the combination of qualities distinguishing an individual person, group of people, or place
There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.
Synonyms
personality,
nature,
make-up,
cast,
constitution,
bent,
attributes,
temper,
kidney,
temperament,
complexion,
disposition,
individuality,
marked traits
in the sense of disposition
Definition
a person's usual temperament
his friendly and cheerful disposition
Synonyms
character,
nature,
spirit,
make-up,
constitution,
temper,
temperament
in the sense of identity
Definition
the individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized
I wanted a sense of my own identity.
Synonyms
individuality,
self,
character,
personality,
existence,
distinction,
originality,
peculiarity,
uniqueness,
oneness,
singularity,
separateness,
distinctiveness,
selfhood,
particularity
Synonyms of 'self'
self
Explore 'self' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of individuality
Definition
the qualities that distinguish one person or thing from another
People should be free to express their individuality and style.
Synonyms
character,
personality,
uniqueness,
distinction,
distinctiveness,
originality,
peculiarity,
singularity,
separateness,
discreteness
in the sense of psyche
Definition
the human mind or soul
Knowledge of the human psyche has advanced immeasurably since Freud.
Synonyms
soul,
mind,
self,
spirit,
personality,
individuality,
subconscious,
true being,
anima,
essential nature,
pneuma,
innermost self,
inner man or woman or person,
wairua (New Zealand)
in the sense of spirit
Definition
the nonphysical aspect of a person concerned with profound thoughts and emotions
The human spirit is virtually indestructible.
Synonyms
soul,
life,
psyche,
ego,
essential being,
inner self,
wairua (New Zealand)
in the sense of temper
Definition
a person's frame of mind
He's known for his placid temper.
Synonyms
frame of mind,
character,
nature,
attitude,
mind,
mood,
constitution,
humour,
vein,
temperament,
tenor,
disposition
in the sense of temperament
Definition
a person's character or disposition
His impulsive temperament regularly got him into difficulties.