him

A male person or animal.

Noun

  1. A male person or animal.
    • I think this bird is a him, but it may be a her.
    • […] daring dizzying passages in other, fleeting and passionate dwellings within the hims and hers whom she inhabits […] - 1985, Hélène Cixous, Sorties (translated)
    • Both hims took a good look at him. - 2004, Tom Wolfe, I Am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel:

    Synonyms: he

Origin

From Middle English him, from Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian him (“him”), West Frisian him (“him”), Sylt North Frisian ham, höm (“him”), Dutch hem (“him”), German Low German hum, hüm, em (“him”), German ihm (“him”, dative).

Forms

hims

Pronoun

  1. A masculine pronoun; he as a grammatical object.
    • […]therfoꝛ Chꝛiſt wold not call him abominable / But the verye abomination it ſilf. - 1529, John Frith, A piſtle to the Chriſten reader […] :
    • ‘I promise,’ he said as I gave him the papers. - 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC:

    1. With dative effect or as an indirect object.

    2. Following a preposition.

      • She was in no humour for conversation with anyone but himself; and to him she had hardly courage to speak. - 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London:...

    3. With accusative effect or as a direct object.

      • ‘He's got it buttoned in his breast. I saw him put it there.’ - 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
  2. As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction.
    • Now him and Bernie are best friends.
    • He released a [statement] warning that him and 25,000 troops were going to stage a coup.
  3. Used in isolation or apposition, or (sometimes proscribed) as the complement of the copula (be).
    • Who was there? —Him.
    • Who did this? —Him. He did it. (or:) It was him. He did it.)
    • Who did that? —(It was) not him: I was watching him the whole time.
  4. Used reflexively: (to) himself.
    • Apon a daye apoynted, the kynge arayed hym in royall apparell, and set hym in his seate, and made an oracion unto them. - 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter...
    • Though poor the peasant’s hut, his feasts though small, He sees his little lot the lot of all; [...] But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil, Each wish contracting, fits him to the soil. - 1765, Oliver Goldsmith, The...
  5. With nominative effect: he, especially as a predicate after be, or following a preposition.
    • Before my body, I throw my warlike Shield: Lay on Macduffe, And damn'd be him, that first cries hold, enough. - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares...
    • Lowe quit the West Wing last year amid rumours that he was unhappy that his co-stars earned more than him. - 2003 June 11, Claire Cozens, The Guardian:
  6. A person of elevated skill at a sport, game, or other activity.
    • Stop trying that, you're not him bro.
    • Bro thinks he's him.
    • They must have amnesia, they forgot that I'm him. - 2023, PLUMMCORP RECORDS, 0:33 from the start, in dracula flow 3:

    Synonyms: that guy that nigga

Related

Ime me myselfmemysen mine mymineme we us ourselvesourselfoursen oursourn our you yourselfyoursen yoursyourn your thou thee thyselftheeselfthysen thine thythine youye yourselves you ally'all you guys yous y'allselves all yours y'all's you guys' your guys'

Derived

himbo himness himpathetic himpathize himpathy himselves shim stand up and give it to him