I don't like it when mathematicians who know much more than I do can't express themselves explicitly.
Source: tatoeba (1415)
Themselves
/ðɛmˈsɛlvz/
Synonyms for "themselves" (47 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (14)
Related words (23)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: 'emselves, alter, alter ego, alterum, better self.
- Sentence evidence is available for themselves, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "themselves".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "themselves"
Keep "themselves" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "themselves" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "themselves", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "themselves" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriespersonal pronounpronoun
More specific
1 entriesplural reflexive pronoun
Collocations
4 entriesby themselvesfor themselvesin themselveswith themselves
Translations
36 translations across 19 languages.
Belarusian
1 entries- яны́ са́мі pron (emphatic: they)
Bulgarian
1 entries- самите pron (emphatic: they)
Catalan
1 entries- mateixos pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 他們自己 /他们自己 pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Czech
4 entries- sama pron (emphatic: they)
- sami pron (emphatic: they)
- samy pron (emphatic: they)
- samy pron (emphatic: they)
Finnish
4 entries- itse pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- itselleen pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- itsensä pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- itseään pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
French
2 entries- elles-mêmes pron (emphatic: they)
- eux-mêmes pron (emphatic: they)
Hungarian
2 entries- önmaguk pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- önmagukat pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Japanese
1 entries- 彼ら自身 pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Latin
3 entries- ipsa pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- ipsas pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
- ipsos pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Latvian
2 entries- viņas pašas pron (emphatic: they)
- viņi paši pron (emphatic: they)
Northern Sami
1 entries- ieža pron (emphatic: they)
Polish
2 entries- same pron (emphatic: they)
- sami pron (emphatic: they)
Portuguese
2 entries- elas mesmas pron (emphatic: they)
- eles mesmos pron (emphatic: they)
Russian
2 entries- они́ са́ми pron (emphatic: they)
- себя́ pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Slovak
2 entries- oni sami pron (emphatic: they)
- ony same pron (emphatic: they)
Spanish
2 entries- ellas mismas pron (emphatic: they)
- ellos mismos pron (emphatic: they)
Ukrainian
2 entries- вони́ сами́ pron (emphatic: they)
- вони́ самі́ pron (emphatic: they)
Volapük
1 entries- okis pron (the persons of unspecified gender previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
If you take care of the small things, the big things will take care of themselves.
Source: tatoeba (2476)
Teachers stimulate the students' interest, have them think, ask questions, and debate among themselves.
Source: tatoeba (19059)
In the days of the knights, they wore shields to protect themselves from sword-fight wounds.
Source: tatoeba (20071)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "themselves"?
Closest matches include 'emselves, alter, alter ego, alterum, better self.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "themselves"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.