to help oneself
24
5.9
- phrasal verb
:
no poder evitar
- Even though I was on a diet, I couldn't help myself from eating that delicious cake.
- you just can't help yourself
- she is unable to help herself
- you really can't help yourself
Examples
-
Unable to help herself, Keiko laid her head against the tree and cried.
Fiction book (1992) -
When the dessert arrived, I couldn't help myself and reached for a second slice.
-
I cannot even help myself.
-
You know, I could hear her, but I couldn't help myself.
-
I just... couldn't help myself.
-
But it's too late; the little girl can't help herself.
Fiction book (1993) -
Then she couldn't help herself, training or no.
Fiction book (2000) -
I'm sorry, I can't help myself.
-
The time Prince's '1999' came on the jukebox, she couldn't help herself and started dancing on the table of a biker bar.
Fiction book (2001) -
She was so tired that she couldn't help herself from falling asleep during the movie.
Synonyms
∞
3.5
To be unable to stop yourself from doing something
291
2.5
Stop yourself from doing something you want to do
100
3.7
Be unable to stop yourself from doing something
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
help + oneself
Although the parts 'help' and 'oneself' are individually transparent, the sense in 'can't help oneself'—'be unable to stop or resist doing something'—uses 'help' in a non-literal, somewhat metaphorical way (prevent/control rather than assist). This semantic shift is context-dependent and not fully predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would likely not reliably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Help oneself in the sense 'be unable to stop oneself' comes from the image of someone trying to hold back but failing, like trying not to reach for a dessert and your hand moves anyway. So if you 'can't help yourself' it means you are unable to stop doing something.