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oneself

oneself

1 3.2
The person someone really is inside
  • noun
  • /wʌnˈsɛlf/
: uno mismo
  • Belief in oneself is contagious.
  • care for oneself
  • awareness of oneself
  • knowledge of oneself

But so often the main antagonist is within one's own self.

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Examples

  • First of all, with this urge to know oneself has to rise from within.

  • Certain actions bring upon oneself certain inevitable reactions.

  • Learning to express oneself is at the heart of any sound education.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Catherine, it is very important to be completely oneself.

  • Thinking about oneself, it seems, is escaping from oneself.

  • How wonderful it was to travel by oneself, she thought as she walked along the cobblestones.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Responsibility is not only vouching for oneself but also taking on the task of neighborliness.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Finally, genuinely practicing popular education requires continually rededicating oneself to its principles.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Numerous informants' accounts stressed the importance of bettering oneself and using other individuals as a standard for comparison.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Catherine realized that being completely oneself is essential for true happiness.

Synonyms

self
vsoneself
∞ 3.9

A person's idea of who they are

is used to indicate the specific individual speaking or writing rather than abstract identity
ownself
vsoneself
  • UK
1 9.9

A person does something alone to show emphasis

is the neutral standard term used to point to the speaker or writer

Idioms

Act in a way that makes you look silly or embarrassed

To praise yourself too much for something you did

Make your situation better by working hard without help

Do or say something that harms your own chances

To become known for what you do by working hard

beside oneself
  • Informal
1 7.0

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

full of oneself
  • Informal
1 6.9

Thinking you are better than other people

1 7.9

To become very confused and anxious because you worry too much

To become successful and have a better life by working hard

1 8.5

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

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

To say you are foolish in a joking way

To behave in a calm, proud way when facing difficulty

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

To cause problems for yourself because of your actions

all over oneself
  • Informal
9.2

Acting nervous and awkward because you want people to notice you

Act in a confused or uncontrolled way because of strong emotion

To eat or drink too much

To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way

To do well in front of others in a difficult situation

To act as if you are better than other people

to go fuck oneself
  • Offensive
9.9

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

To talk to yourself to think about and criticize your actions

To think you are better than other people

To succeed and then stop others from getting the same chances

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

To get better after a failure and start again

Make yourself look good to other people

stuck on oneself
  • Offensive
8.4

Being too proud and thinking you are better than others

Surface Forms

oneself singular
oneselves plural

Morphology

oneself = one + self (transparent) = one + self

The noun sense is a direct combination of 'one' + 'self' denoting a person's own identity, following the same transparent pattern as the reflexive pronoun.

Etymology

Oneself combines one and self, which you can remember as 'one's own person' or 'who you are'. So it is used to talk about a person's own nature, feelings, or identity.