- [countable, usually singular] the type of person you are, especially the way you normally behave, look or feel
- You'll soon be feeling your old self again (= feeling well or happy again).
- He's not his usual happy self this morning.
- Only with a few people could she be her real self (= show what she was really like rather than what she pretended to be).
- his private/professional self (= how he behaves at home/work)
Extra Examples- He's his usual cheerful self again.
- She knew that with a holiday he would be back to his former self.
- Her private and public selves were vastly different.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- whole
- real
- true
- …
- reveal
- discover
- find
- …
- a loss of self
- a sense of self
- a shadow of your former self
- …
- [uncountable] (also the self [singular])(formal) a person’s personality or character that makes them different from other people
- Many people living in institutions have lost their sense of self (= the feeling that they are individual people).
- the inner self (= a person’s emotional and spiritual character)
- a lack of confidence in the self
Extra Examples- He was afraid to reveal his innermost self.
- a book about reaching for one's better self
- a movie about a boy who falls in love and finds his true self in the process
- He argues that there has been an increased focus on the self.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- whole
- real
- true
- …
- reveal
- discover
- find
- …
- a loss of self
- a sense of self
- a shadow of your former self
- …
- [uncountable] (formal) your own advantage or pleasure rather than that of other people
- She didn't do it for any reason of self.
- Self, self, self! That’s all you ever think about!
- [countable] used to refer to a person
- You didn't hurt your little self, did you?
- We look forward to seeing Mrs Brown and your good self this evening.
- I was very thirsty (note to self: bring water on walks!).
Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zelf and German selbe. Early use was emphatic, expressing the sense ‘(I) myself’, ‘(he) himself’, etc.
Idioms
See self in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee self in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe a shadow/ghost of your former self
- to not have the strength, influence, etc. that you used to have
- When his career ended, he became a shadow of his former self.
Check pronunciation:
self