oneself

Examples

• All

• I certainly believe one should constantly strive to improve oneself.

  Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

• So one persuades oneself that everything will turn out well.

  Jefferson in Paris (1995)

• So one must ask oneself why one never learned those stories.

• Assisting an expert is different... very, very different... from doing it oneself.

  From Hell (2001)

• It is more difficult to agree with oneself.

  Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

• Positive imagery in sports involves imagining oneself doing the needed athletic performance.

  Academic text (2008)

• If one breathes deeply enough, one can almost feel oneself swell to a larger, less imperfect shape.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Entering from the women's locker room, one found oneself immediately at one of the pool's deep-end corners.

  Fiction book (1991)

• One must take time to reflect on oneself to understand personal goals.

• Before facing challenges, it is important to believe in oneself.

Idioms

M

to make a fool of oneself

42 4.1

Act in a way that makes you look silly or embarrassed

G

to go fuck oneself

• Offensive

37 9.9

A rude way to tell someone to go away and show strong anger

M

to make something of oneself

35 4.9

To become successful and have a better life by working hard

M

to make a name for oneself

30 3.7

To become known for what you do by working hard

P

to pat oneself on the back

• Informal

28 6.9

To praise yourself too much for something you did

S

to shoot oneself in the foot

• Informal

20 8.4

Do or say something that harms your own chances

B

beside oneself

• Informal

12 7.0

So upset, happy, or worried that you cannot control your feelings

M

to make an ass of oneself

• Offensive

7 8.5

To act in a way that makes you look foolish in front of others

P

to put oneself in someone's shoes

5 3.7

Imagine being in another person's situation to understand their feelings

P

to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps

• Informal

1 8.2

Make your situation better by working hard without help

M

to make a pig of oneself

• Informal

1 7.6

To eat or drink too much

T

to tie oneself in knots

• Informal

1 7.9

To become very confused and anxious because you worry too much

C

to carry oneself with dignity

1 6.6

To behave in a calm, proud way when facing difficulty

A

all over oneself

• Informal

1 9.2

Acting nervous and awkward because you want people to notice you

M

to make a show of oneself

• Informal

1 7.5

To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way

G

to give oneself airs

1 8.1

To act as if you are better than other people

H

to have a word with oneself

1 8.6

To talk to yourself to think about and criticize your actions

B

to bear oneself with dignity

• Formal

7.6

To behave calmly and with self-respect in difficult or formal situations

C

to call oneself an eejit

• Slang

9.9

To say you are foolish in a joking way

C

to check oneself before one wrecks oneself

• Slang

9.9

To stop and think before you say or do something that causes trouble

D

to dig a hole for oneself

• Informal

7.9

To cause problems for yourself because of your actions

F

full of oneself

• Informal

6.9

Thinking you are better than other people

L

to lose the run of oneself

• Archaic

9.9

Act in a confused or uncontrolled way because of strong emotion

G

to give a good account of oneself

6.9

To do well in front of others in a difficult situation

H

to have tickets on oneself

• Archaic

9.9

To think you are better than other people

P

to pull the ladder up behind oneself

9.0

To succeed and then stop others from getting the same chances

P

to pick oneself up off the floor

• Informal

6.1

To get better after a failure and start again

S

to show oneself in the right light

7.2

Make yourself look good to other people

S

stuck on oneself

• Offensive

8.4

Being too proud and thinking you are better than others

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology