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he

[hee, ee] / hi, i /
PRONOUN
nominative singular pronoun
Synonyms
STRONGEST
I it she sie they ve xe you ze zie

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for he?
We don’t traditionally think of he as having synonyms, but there are some situations in which it can be reworded or replaced with another word or phrase. he himself Sometimes, the phrase he himself is used to emphasize that a person did something entirely by himself or that it was done by him as opposed to others. For example, saying He cast the deciding vote may be a neutral statement, but saying He himself cast the deciding vote indicates that there was some significance to the fact that it was he who did it. him Sometimes a sentence can be reworded to replace the subject he with the equivalent object him. For example, the question “When do you expect he will arrive?” could be reworded as “When do you expect him to arrive?” In this case, it’s a more natural-sounding question, but this kind of rewording can be done for a number of reasons. Him is also commonly used after linking verbs (like is and was) in sentences like It was him that I saw on the train or It is him in that picture.
What can you use instead of the word he?
He is used to stand in for more specific words, like Dr. Harris, Jacob, or the pilot. So, if there’s a chance that using he might be confusing (such as when more than one man is mentioned in the sentence), you can always use the name or title of the person instead of referring to him as he. Take this sentence, for example: “If we invite Mr. Smith’s son, do you think he would come?” The he in this sentence could refer to Mr. Smith or his son, so it may be more clear to reword it as: “If we invite Mr. Smith’s son, do you think his son would come?” (or by replacing he with Mr. Smith, if that’s what you mean). Of course, there are a number of other ways to say this, including using a specific name. In some situations, it can be considered impolite to refer to someone as he or him when that person is in your presence—especially when you haven’t already acknowledged them or addressed them by name. To avoid this, it’s always best to refer to a person by name, especially when it’s the first time you’re referring to them.
Is he a pronoun?
He is a personal pronoun. Pronouns are used as substitutes for nouns—they’re another way of referring to a noun without using a specific name. Personal pronouns are used to refer to the speaker, to the person being addressed, or the person being talked about. He is categorized as a third person pronoun (like she, they, him, her, and them), meaning it’s used to refer to anyone other than the person doing the communicating or the people being addressed. In contrast, first person pronouns (like I and me) refer to the speaker or writer themselves, and the second person pronoun you is used to address the person being spoken to or reading. He is used as a subject. Its object counterpart is him.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He could have spent his whole life doing nothing but golfing and hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein, and he would have ended up vastly more wealthy than he is today.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

The seven-time world champion fought back against China Open winner Mark Selby in the quarter-finals on Thursday to seal a 5-3 victory, but he has spoken candidly at this week's ranking event about his struggles.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

PayPal delivered an earnings beat last month, and while CEO Enrique Lores didn’t comment directly on the Stripe takeover reports, he said the company wouldn’t dismiss an acquisition in general.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Garland officiated at the Nantucket, Mass., wedding, joking at one point that when he told Wilkinson to improve her relations with the press, this wasn’t what he meant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

With well-placed charges of black gunpowder, he shatters rock.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

“But clearly there’s problems—problems that are still here from 4 years ago. Simply put, hes not it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025

She – there are hes, but the disciples I’ve spotted in the wild are predominantly female – is deaf to criticism, immune to self-doubt, ready to spring to action.

From The Guardian ● May 16, 2018

The suspect had given up his rights of protection if hes threatening those same rights of others.

From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2018

Maybe hes a cipher in the sense that hes a symbol.

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2014

I dint think pepul would laff at Prof Nemur because hes a sientist in a collidge but Bert said no sientist is a grate man to his colleegs and his gradulate studints.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

The good news is that when new ownership takes over of organizations, companies and properties, they can often be salvaged.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

But as their 2,500-capacity home stadium in Torres Vedras does not meet Uefa's requirements, they will play their home matches 193 miles away at the Estadio Algarve in Faro.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Here they plot the rise in the 30-year yield versus the S&P 500 and the energy component of the Bloomberg commodity index, on an impressive triple Y-axis.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Every college football coach in the country spent last season with their jaws on the floor as they watched Indiana go from spectacular irrelevance to undefeated dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

But they wouldn’t be going by bus, train, or boat.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

This week we’ve thankfully seen little of him.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

“We don’t think it’s a bluff,” said Citrini in its report, but it did concede Bessent understands the value of an ability to scare investors into doing his job for him.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

It impressed Kotick who asked that Wilkinson question him on the stand instead of Activision’s own lawyers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Yet at a young age, even the 1975 action film “Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze” terrified him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Tell me what enemy taunted him and Grandpa.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

That’s all speculation, but at least most of them seem to favor following the Constitution.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

The gliders will be powered by a fan but pilots will be expected to launch them on foot.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Still, both sides have big cash cushions that—along with revenue and Ebitda growth—let them absorb 12-24 months of elevated capex without significantly hurting credit quality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

“I like Instagrams where people are putting themselves out there and maybe they’re not the best at it, and I both find it funny but I do also empathize with them, too, and support them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

“Your son did well. He’s brave. Tried to fight them off.”

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

According to a Washington Post report, revenues dropped precipitously when he announced the change and then completely cratered when his name was added.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

The short document has been released ahead of the first minister setting out his legislative plans for the year on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

“We don’t think it’s a bluff,” said Citrini in its report, but it did concede Bessent understands the value of an ability to scare investors into doing his job for him.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

But his progress hit a wall when he, the school and its donors balked at sharply rising prices for talent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Phineas had his tamping iron made to order by a neighborhood blacksmith.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

After years of disrepair, the once opulent Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino came tumbling down to cheers from onlookers who had all paid $10 to watch the demolition from their cars.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

One of their four away matches will come against European debutants Torreense.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Paramedics in Japan have a problem — polite homeowners rearranging their shoes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Every college football coach in the country spent last season with their jaws on the floor as they watched Indiana go from spectacular irrelevance to undefeated dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The emotional colors of their world seem to have drained away.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Bournemouth have also been handed a tie against the Italians, although theirs will be on home soil.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Perhaps to their point, you aren’t burdened by your own children — don’t allow yourself to be burdened by theirs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Bare and Huddleston, two self-described “country hicks,” have become polarizing heroes of the rural campaign against the AI technology rewiring geopolitics, the economy—and now hometowns like theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

“We have the ability to accept costs because our resources are great. Iran does not, because theirs are few,” said Barry Posen, a political science professor at MIT.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Papa had told her Marvellian magic was different than theirs, and she couldn't wait to keep showing off.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

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