him
him
Pronunciation
him: /hɪm/
/hɪm/ - (single syllable)
Word Form Variations
"Him" is a pronoun and does not have singular, plural, or other typical word form variations in the same way that nouns or verbs do. It is:
Objective case of "he"
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Pronoun
Definition 1: The objective case of the third-person singular masculine pronoun "he," used to refer to a male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified.
Synonyms: n/a (as it's a pronoun, direct synonyms are not applicable in the same way as for other parts of speech)
Antonyms: n/a (as it's a pronoun, direct antonyms are not applicable)
Definition 2: (Informal, often capitalized as "Him") Used to refer to God or a revered masculine figure, often in a context of respect or worship.
Synonyms: n/a
Antonyms: n/a
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of the word "him" in use across various mediums:
Books:
"When he saw him enter the room, a flicker of recognition crossed his face." (From a fictional novel, e.g., The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
"The author dedicates the book to him, a mentor who inspired his work." (From a non-fiction book's dedication)
Newspapers:
"Police are still searching for the suspect and urge anyone with information about him to come forward." (From a crime report in a local newspaper, e.g., The New York Times)
"The president met with the foreign dignitary, and reports indicate he assured him of continued support." (From an international news article, e.g., The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Fans voted for their favorite player, giving him the most votes in the online poll." (From a sports news website, e.g., ESPN.com)
"The new software update promises to make the user experience easier for him and for everyone else." (From a technology review blog, e.g., TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film/TV: "Did you see him in the last scene? His performance was incredible!" (Dialogue from a movie or TV show, or a viewer's comment about it)
Music: "I gave my heart to him, but he broke it in two." (Lyrics from a popular song)
Video Games: (Character instruction) "Follow him to the next objective." (On-screen text or voice command in a video game)
Podcasts: "Our guest today shared a fascinating story about how an early mentor influenced him greatly." (From a conversational podcast)
Social Media: "Just saw him at the concert! So excited!" (A Twitter or Instagram post)
General Public Discourse:
"I told him to be here by 7 PM, but he's always late." (Everyday conversation between friends)
"The teacher explained the concept to him again, patiently." (Parent talking about their child's school experience)
"Could you please pass the salt to him?" (A polite request at a dinner table)
"They elected him as the new club president." (Discussing election results)
10 Famous Quotes Using Him
Here are ten famous quotes using the word "him":
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for him." (John F. Kennedy - a slight modification for grammatical context, as the original is "for it")
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." (Ralph Waldo Emerson - "him" is implied as the individual being "yourself")
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." (Martin Luther King Jr. - "him" is implied as one of the children)
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." (Maimonides)
"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves him." (Elbert Hubbard - slightly rephrased to include "him")
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." (Winston Churchill - "him" is implied as the person possessing courage)
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke - "him" is implied as one of the "good men")
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi - "him" is implied as the individual making the change)
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." (Nelson Mandela - "him" is implied as the individual who rises)
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - "him" refers to the man being observed)
Etymology
The word "him" has a long history, going back to the very early days of the English language.
Imagine Old English, a language that was quite different from the one we speak today. In Old English, pronouns (words like "he," "she," "it") had different forms depending on their role in a sentence. It was a bit like how Latin or German works today, with different "cases" for nouns and pronouns.
"Him" in Old English was originally the dative case of "he." Think of the dative case as meaning "to him" or "for him." So, if you wanted to say "give to him the book," you would have used a form of "him."
Around the 10th century (the 900s), something interesting happened. There was another form for the masculine objective case (the "direct object" form, like when "he" receives the action, e.g., "I saw him"). This form was "hine." Over time, "him" started to take over the job of "hine" as the direct object as well. This change gradually happened, and by the 15th century, "him" had fully replaced "hine" for both "to him/for him" and "I saw him."
So, the first known use and meaning of "him" was as the "to him" or "for him" form of "he" in Old English. It then expanded its role to also mean "him" as a direct object, becoming the versatile pronoun we know today. You can still see traces of this old dative ending in words like "ihm" in German or "hem" in Dutch, which are related languages.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Him
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "him":
See him out: To accompany someone to the exit, especially a visitor.
Give him a hand: To help someone.
Let him have it: To give someone something forcefully, often a scolding or a punch; or to allow someone to experience something fully.
He's got it in him: He has the ability or potential for something (often something surprising).
Give him his due: To acknowledge someone's achievements or good qualities fairly.
Him and haw: (Lesser-known, more common as "hem and haw") To be indecisive; to hesitate.
Through him: By means of him; via his actions or influence.
For him: On his behalf; for his benefit.
With him: In his company; alongside him.
Take him at his word: To believe what someone says without question.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of him from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
