What is a synonym for him?
We don’t traditionally think of the word
him as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words.
he Sometimes a sentence can be reworded to replace the object
him with the equivalent subject
he. For example, the question “When do you expect
him to arrive?” could be reworded as “When do you expect
he will arrive?”
Him is 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, but sometimes the word
he is used in such constructions, such as when saying “This is
he” when answering the phone.
himself In some cases, the word
himself is used as another way of saying
him. For example, it’s common to say things like
He should think for himself.
Himself is also sometimes used in place of
him after the words
as,
than, and
but, as in
He saw at the door a boy no older than himself and
He has no one to blame but himself. them Like
they,
them has a long history of being used to refer to an unspecified individual or to a person whose gender and other personal details are unknown or irrelevant, as in
If a student is absent, they must bring in a note with them when they return to school. Sentences like this sometimes use constructions like
he or she and
him or her, but the use of
they and
them has become very common in such instances, with many people preferring
them as less awkward and more inclusive.
What can you use instead of the word him?
Him is used to stand in for more specific words, like Dr. Harris, Jacob, or the pilot. So, if there’s a chance that using him 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 using him. 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.
What kind of pronoun is him?
Him is a
personal pronoun—it’s the object form of
he.
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 (
first person), to the person being addressed (
second person), or the person being talked about (
third person). Him is categorized as a third person pronoun (like
he,
she,
they,
her, and
them), meaning that it’s used to refer to anyone other than the person doing the communicating or the people being addressed.
