Itself is used as the object of a verb or preposition when it refers to something that is the same thing as the subject of the verb.
...remarkable new evidence showing how the body rebuilds itself while we sleep.
Unemployment does not correct itself.
...the threat of Europe building trade business around itself.
2. pronoun
You use itself to emphasize the thing you are referring to.
[emphasis]
I think life itself is a learning process.
The involvement of the foreign ministers was itself a sign of progress.
He cheered up on Christmas Day itself.
3. pronoun
If you say that someone is, for example, politeness itself or kindness itself, you are emphasizing they are extremely polite or extremely kind.
[emphasis]
I was never really happy there, although the people were kindness itself.
He is rarely satisfied with anything less than perfection itself.
4. an end in itself
English Easy Learning GrammarDeterminersDeterminers are words that make the reference of nouns more specific. If I say ‘thiscar’ it is clear that I mean a particular car which is near me. If ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarReflexive pronounsReflexive pronouns are used: person singular plural 1st2nd3rd masculine3rd feminine3rd neuterGeneral myselfyourselfhimselfherselfitselfoneselfourselvesyourselvesthemselvesthemselvesthemselves ... Read more
itself in British English
(ɪtˈsɛlf)
pronoun
1.
a. the reflexive form of it1
b.
(intensifier)
even the money itself won't convince me
2. (preceded by a copula)
its normal or usual self
my cat isn't itself today
itself in American English
(ɪtˈsɛlf)
pronoun
a form of it1, used:
a.
as an intensifier
the work itself is easy
b.
as a reflexive
the dog bit itself
c.
with the meaning “its real, true, or normal self” [the bird is not itself today]
in this construction, it functions as an adjective and self as a noun; when they are separated, the form its is used
its own sweet self
Examples of 'itself' in a sentence
itself
Save your cat the trouble of washing itself with this cat wash.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Isn't this a chance for Europe to pull itself together?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The commercial law firm model has proven itself extremely resilient.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The car itself was also extremely slow.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
International law itself is extremely subjective.
The Sun (2013)
The business of transporting and supplying the European armies was itself extremely profitable.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
There is also the process of qualification for Europe itself.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Europe has itself endured the horrors of war, persecution and mass refugee flows.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Talking about feelings, emotions, and the relationship itself is extremely uncomfortable for many men.
Christianity Today (2000)
The solution to the eurozone's woes must lie within Europe itself.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is not going to fight harder for Europe than Europe itself will do.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
For the first time, Europe was tearing itself apart over an idea.
Marsden, Philip The Crossing-Place (1993)
The jockey was said to have undergone lessons in etiquette; the horse had not, though it acquitted itself extremely well.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
itself
British English: itself /ɪtˈsɛlf/ PRONOUN
You use itself to talk about something that you have just talked about.
The kitten washed itself, then lay down by the fire.
American English: itself
Arabic: نَفْسِهِ
Brazilian Portuguese: ele mesmo
Chinese: 它自己
Croatian: sam sebe
Czech: se
Danish: sig selv
Dutch: zichzelf
European Spanish: se ello
Finnish: itse
French: soi-même
German: sich
Greek: αυτό το ίδιο
Italian: se stesso
Japanese: それ自身
Korean: 그것 자체
Norwegian: seg selv
Polish: siebie
European Portuguese: ele mesmo
Romanian: însuși
Russian: себя
Latin American Spanish: se
Swedish: sig själv den själv
Thai: ตัวมันเอง
Turkish: kendisi
Ukrainian: себе
Vietnamese: tự nó
All related terms of 'itself'
up-itself
pretentious or pompous
lend itself
to possess the right characteristics or qualities for
lend itself to
to be adapted to, useful for, or open to
pay for itself
If something that you buy or invest in pays for itself after a period of time, the money you gain from it, or save because you have it, is greater than the amount you originally spent or invested.
simplicity itself
If you say that something is simplicity itself , you are emphasizing that it is very simple or easy .
an end in itself
If you consider something to be an end in itself , you do it because it seems desirable and not because it is likely to lead to something else.
speak for itself
to be so evident that no further comment is necessary
thing-in-itself
(in the philosophy of Kant ) an element of the noumenal rather than the phenomenal world, of which the senses give no knowledge but whose bare existence can be inferred from the nature of experience
Chinese translation of 'itself'
itself
(ɪtˈsɛlf)
pron
(reflexive) 它自己 (tā zìjǐ)
(emphatic) 本身 (běnshēn)
it switches itself on automatically它自动(動)接通 (tā zìdòng jiētōng)
I think life itself is a learning process我认(認)为(為)生活本身是个(個)学(學)习(習)的过(過)程 (wǒ rènwéi shēnghuó běnshēn shì gè xuéxí de guòchéng)
the baby can hold the toy itself宝(寶)宝(寶)自己能拿住玩具 (bǎobao zìjǐ néng názhù wánjù)
she is kindness/politeness itself她是仁慈/礼(禮)貌的化身 (tā shì réncí/lǐmào de huàshēn)
in itself本身 (běnshēn)
⇒ Stress in itself is not necessarily harmful.压力本身并不一定是有害的。 (Yālì běnshēn bìng bù yīdìng shì yǒuhài de.)
by itself (= unaided) 自己独(獨)立地 (zìjǐ dúlì de)
⇒ The cat managed to climb down the tree by itself.猫自己设法爬下了树。 (Māo zìjǐ shèfǎ páxiàle shù.)
⇒ The wound will heal by itself.伤口会自己愈合的。 (Shāngkǒu huì zìjǐ yùhé de.)
(= alone) 单(單)独(獨)地 (dāndú de)
⇒ The dog shouldn't have been left at home by itself.狗不该被单独留在家里。 (Gǒu bù gāi bèi dāndú liú zài jiāli.)
All related terms of 'itself'
by itself
( unaided ) 自己独(獨)立地 zìjǐ dúlì de ⇒ The cat managed to climb down the tree by itself. → 猫自己设法爬下了树。 Māo zìjǐ shèfǎ páxiàle shù.
in itself
本身 běnshēn ⇒ Stress in itself is not necessarily harmful. → 压力本身并不一定是有害的。 Yālì běnshēn bìng bù yīdìng shì yǒuhài de.