"be oneself" meaning in English

See be oneself in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-be oneself.ogg Forms: is oneself [present, singular, third-person], being oneself [participle, present], was oneself [past], been oneself [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|be<is,being,was,been> oneself}} be oneself (third-person singular simple present is oneself, present participle being oneself, simple past was oneself, past participle been oneself)
  1. (idiomatic) To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to act naturally): كَانَ نَفْسَكَ (kāna nafsaka) [masculine] (Arabic), كَانَ نَفْسَكِ (kāna nafsaki) [feminine] (Arabic), bezit c'hwi (Breton), olla oma itsensä (Finnish), être soi-même [infinitive] (French), összhangban van önmagával (Hungarian), természetesen / spontán módon viselkedik (Hungarian), magát adja (Hungarian), önmaga (Hungarian), być sobą [imperfective] (Polish), ser si mesmo (Portuguese), быть сами́м собо́й (bytʹ samím sobój) [infinitive] (Russian), maging sarili ng isa (Tagalog)
    Sense id: en-be_oneself-en-verb-xD0MbW~k Disambiguation of 'to act naturally': 96 4
  2. (idiomatic) To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-be_oneself-en-verb-ZibEAR7K Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English predicates, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Breton translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Tagalog translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 39 61 Disambiguation of English predicates: 40 60 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 35 65 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 34 66 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 22 78 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with Breton translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 31 69 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 29 71 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 30 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 23 77 Disambiguation of Terms with Tagalog translations: 24 76
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: find oneself, to thine own self be true

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "is oneself",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "being oneself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "was oneself",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "been oneself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "be<is,being,was,been> oneself"
      },
      "expansion": "be oneself (third-person singular simple present is oneself, present participle being oneself, simple past was oneself, past participle been oneself)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "find oneself"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "to thine own self be true"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "All you have to do is be yourself.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 October 3, Paul Wilson, quoting Arouna Koné, “Fighting fit Arouna Koné making the most of his comeback for Everton”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-11-17:",
          "text": "I've heard players saying I am like a different person this season and it's true. When you are back with the team you can be yourself again, you can join in the fun and express yourself more normally.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 July 19, Kaitlin Reilly, “Who Is The Murderer On In The Dark? You'll Never Guess This Crazy Twist”, in Refinery29, archived from the original on 2023-08-19:",
          "text": "Seeing Murphy's long pushed aside mushy feelings is a sweet moment. It almost feels inevitable that these two would find each other. Murphy has found someone she can be herself around and a built-in family with a surrogate daughter who understands what Murphy has gone through.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 November 14, Gayle MacDonald, quoting Oliver Lane, “Match: Time spent apart only strengthened Amy and Oliver’s decision to be together”, in The Globe and Mail, Toronto, ON: The Woodbridge Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-11-16:",
          "text": "She was also there when I cut my hair, which sounds trite, but for me it was a big deal. I've been on hormones three years now and I'm almost at the point of where I want to be. I feel like I'm finally myself.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others."
      ],
      "id": "en-be_oneself-en-verb-xD0MbW~k",
      "links": [
        [
          "behave",
          "behave#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "act",
          "act#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "naturally",
          "naturally#Adverb"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "perceived",
          "perceive#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "kāna nafsaka",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "كَانَ نَفْسَكَ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "kāna nafsaki",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "كَانَ نَفْسَكِ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "br",
          "lang": "Breton",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "bezit c'hwi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "olla oma itsensä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "tags": [
            "infinitive"
          ],
          "word": "être soi-même"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "összhangban van önmagával"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "természetesen / spontán módon viselkedik"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "magát adja"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "önmaga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "być sobą"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "ser si mesmo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bytʹ samím sobój",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "tags": [
            "infinitive"
          ],
          "word": "быть сами́м собо́й"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to act naturally",
          "word": "maging sarili ng isa"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "39 61",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 60",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 65",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 78",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Breton translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 69",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "29 71",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Tagalog translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "What's wrong? You're not yourself today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 November 6, Steven Millhauser, “Miracle Polish”, in The New Yorker, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-06-02:",
          "text": "At that moment it seemed to me that everything was possible for Monica and me; and going up to her I said, \"I've never seen you like this!\" With her eyes still closed she said, \"I'm not myself today!\" She began to laugh. Then I began to laugh, because of what we had both said, and because of her laughter and the sun and the sky and the lake.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 February 9, David Brooks, “How Do You Serve a Friend in Despair?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-07-27:",
          "text": "One bright June afternoon, he pulled us aside and told us he wasn't himself. He was doing what he loved most — playing basketball, swimming in the lake — but he couldn't enjoy anything.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 April 4, Ellen Coughlan, quoting Whitney Pepper, “I tipped the scales at 299Ibs and lost over half my body weight - but now I'm addicted to SHOPPING and spend over $1000 a month on clothes”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-04-27:",
          "text": "I also think it is because I portray myself, I am more confident and outgoing - I am finally myself again.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-be_oneself-en-verb-ZibEAR7K",
      "links": [
        [
          "sick",
          "sick#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "depressed",
          "depressed#Adjective"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-be oneself.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/En-au-be_oneself.ogg/En-au-be_oneself.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/En-au-be_oneself.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "be oneself"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Breton translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Tagalog translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "is oneself",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "being oneself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "was oneself",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "been oneself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "be<is,being,was,been> oneself"
      },
      "expansion": "be oneself (third-person singular simple present is oneself, present participle being oneself, simple past was oneself, past participle been oneself)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "find oneself"
    },
    {
      "word": "to thine own self be true"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "All you have to do is be yourself.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 October 3, Paul Wilson, quoting Arouna Koné, “Fighting fit Arouna Koné making the most of his comeback for Everton”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-11-17:",
          "text": "I've heard players saying I am like a different person this season and it's true. When you are back with the team you can be yourself again, you can join in the fun and express yourself more normally.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 July 19, Kaitlin Reilly, “Who Is The Murderer On In The Dark? You'll Never Guess This Crazy Twist”, in Refinery29, archived from the original on 2023-08-19:",
          "text": "Seeing Murphy's long pushed aside mushy feelings is a sweet moment. It almost feels inevitable that these two would find each other. Murphy has found someone she can be herself around and a built-in family with a surrogate daughter who understands what Murphy has gone through.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 November 14, Gayle MacDonald, quoting Oliver Lane, “Match: Time spent apart only strengthened Amy and Oliver’s decision to be together”, in The Globe and Mail, Toronto, ON: The Woodbridge Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-11-16:",
          "text": "She was also there when I cut my hair, which sounds trite, but for me it was a big deal. I've been on hormones three years now and I'm almost at the point of where I want to be. I feel like I'm finally myself.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "behave",
          "behave#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "act",
          "act#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "naturally",
          "naturally#Adverb"
        ],
        [
          "regard",
          "regard#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "perceived",
          "perceive#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "What's wrong? You're not yourself today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 November 6, Steven Millhauser, “Miracle Polish”, in The New Yorker, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-06-02:",
          "text": "At that moment it seemed to me that everything was possible for Monica and me; and going up to her I said, \"I've never seen you like this!\" With her eyes still closed she said, \"I'm not myself today!\" She began to laugh. Then I began to laugh, because of what we had both said, and because of her laughter and the sun and the sky and the lake.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 February 9, David Brooks, “How Do You Serve a Friend in Despair?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-07-27:",
          "text": "One bright June afternoon, he pulled us aside and told us he wasn't himself. He was doing what he loved most — playing basketball, swimming in the lake — but he couldn't enjoy anything.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 April 4, Ellen Coughlan, quoting Whitney Pepper, “I tipped the scales at 299Ibs and lost over half my body weight - but now I'm addicted to SHOPPING and spend over $1000 a month on clothes”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-04-27:",
          "text": "I also think it is because I portray myself, I am more confident and outgoing - I am finally myself again.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sick",
          "sick#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "depressed",
          "depressed#Adjective"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-be oneself.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/En-au-be_oneself.ogg/En-au-be_oneself.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/En-au-be_oneself.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "kāna nafsaka",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "كَانَ نَفْسَكَ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "kāna nafsaki",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "كَانَ نَفْسَكِ"
    },
    {
      "code": "br",
      "lang": "Breton",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "bezit c'hwi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "olla oma itsensä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ],
      "word": "être soi-même"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "összhangban van önmagával"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "természetesen / spontán módon viselkedik"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "magát adja"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "önmaga"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "być sobą"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "ser si mesmo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bytʹ samím sobój",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ],
      "word": "быть сами́м собо́й"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to act naturally",
      "word": "maging sarili ng isa"
    }
  ],
  "word": "be oneself"
}

Download raw JSONL data for be oneself meaning in English (6.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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