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he

[hee, ee] / hi, i /
PRONOUN
nominative singular pronoun
Synonyms


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:

The use of leverage, whether from margin debt, options trading or levered exchange-traded funds, all tends to be concentrated in the same stocks, he said.

From MarketWatch Jul. 13, 2026

“Even when my parents were alive they worked really long, hard hours running a small business so even then he was a caregiver to me,” she told CNN, referring to her brother.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

He officially earned his Actors’ Equity card in 2004 for a production of “Where’s Charley?” at the Goodspeed Opera House, he told Playbill in 2009.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

“Historically when investors are so aggressively borrowing, it has not turned out well,” he said.

From MarketWatch Jul. 13, 2026

The priest also explains that “he indicated many instances in which he had tried to find out what she was reading and she had refused to show him the title of the book.”

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“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

Why are people moaning about Axel Blake because hes supposedly well known?

From BBC Apr. 19, 2022

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

But I wonder if hes being too literal here.

From New York Times Jan. 19, 2018

But Joe Carp hes my friend he said Charlie why dont you take over Olivers job.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Investors are increasingly borrowing to buy stocks, a reflection of greed in the stock market as they seek to amplify returns with margin debt.

From MarketWatch Jul. 13, 2026

The defendants said they’d believed they were targeting a military aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

“There’s a high concentration of players with very well-structured clubs. And then everyone draws from this Ile-de-France pool because afterwards they go to other clubs; they don’t all stay in Ile-de-France.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

If Berry’s track proves to be the Stones’ final utterance, they will have concluded an illustrious career in fine style.

From Salon Jul. 13, 2026

"Strep" bacteria live on nearly everything people touch but are only dangerous if they can penetrate the body's defenses and overpower the immune system.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Lindsey Graham said when his parents dropped him off at college, his sister was holding his leg.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

“Who can question him? His record speaks for itself as a player and as a coach.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

"It is such an honour. Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him," Nordone said.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

“He’s living in a cage. I’m going to join him in that cage.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

I hear Caesar’s voice: “If you ask him, Midnight will give you his heart.”

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

“They were kind of like our aunts and uncles. And sometimes being young kids and mischievous and stuff, we were almost like the entertainment for them I think,” she told CNN.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

He spent one memorable half-season with the Brewers, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA to help them to the playoffs in 2008.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

But for all of the Stones’ gusto, it’s the cover versions that find them at their sizzling best.

From Salon Jul. 13, 2026

Much of the discussion of Slaughter has focused on the president’s ability to shape the behavior of commissioners by threatening to remove them from their positions.

From Slate Jul. 13, 2026

Some of them worshipped nature spirits, gods of particular localities, their own ancestors, and female shamans who spoke with departed spirits and delivered prayers in song.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Lindsey Graham later adopted his sister and became her legal guardian.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

“Communities around the world will never be the same without him. We love you Josh,” McClure wrote in his caption.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

But increasingly his greatest triumph is starting to look like his greatest tragedy.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor known for his roles in ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘The Piano’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ has died.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

While his assistant is pouring the sand, Phineas flips his tamping iron around from the pointy end to the round end for tamping.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

On Monday, SpaceX shares hit an intraday low of $136.78, 39.4% off their intraday peak, before closing at $139.14, down 4.2% on the day.

From MarketWatch Jul. 13, 2026

Many Asian oil buyers are taking more cargoes from Latin America, West Africa and the U.S. to rebuild their strategic stockpiles as they seek to reduce exposure to the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 13, 2026

For those who fall short, their immigrant backgrounds allow them to play for other countries.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

But in recent years, they have rediscovered their mettle.

From Salon Jul. 13, 2026

As the Japanese tightened their grip on the Philippines, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered General MacArthur to leave the Philippines and relocate to Australia so General MacArthur could regroup, strategize, and return, ready to fight.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

"I want to make sure everyone else my age is completing theirs when they get one – it's so easy to do and for me it was life-changing."

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

"This is our sport, not theirs," said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

From BBC Jul. 6, 2026

Europeans love to mock our solemnity, but our recent history speaks for itself—and so does theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 2, 2026

This leaves disgruntled adult children weighing what to do to reclaim money they feel is rightfully theirs.

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

In fact, my opinion may be better than theirs, because as a layman I react to art in a direct, straightforward fashion, without having my view obstructed by a lot of complicated theories.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson




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