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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:

“We’re continuing to invest in the products and services that matter most to our customers,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

I kept trying to tell the VFX guy to bring the blood levels down, but he wasn’t interested in doing that.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

“Sternly staring at inflation until it melts before our withering gaze is not an option,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

“He was always pinching himself about the life that he had — the stories, the adventures, and his luck.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

He remained there until 1918, when he was moved to Carville.

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

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

Remember, hes not yelling at the traders, hes not chastising the traders, hes speaking on their behalf.

From Salon Mar. 9, 2014

Charlie has a good natcher and hes intristed and eeger to pleese.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

But in recent months, the resurgent inflation has led a growing group of Federal Reserve officials to consider whether they might need to raise interest rates instead.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

For Dan Tana’s, as far as ghosts go, they comprise a who’s who of Hollywood royalty.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

But I hope they find solace in his namesake, St. Lawrence.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

The audience is so funny, and they play along.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

They study enemy troops from the relative safety of their homes and write down as much information as they can.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Chinese media reported the illness; people close to him described to me a fight that had lasted for more than a year.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Heidecker hosts as what may be described as Tim Heidecker as Alex Jones, but not Alex Jones, whom the show has declared dead, popping him “like a balloon” in his car.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

When he dropped between the lines, Madrid's centre-backs had to decide: Follow him and leave a hole, or stay and give him lots of space.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

I found it unprofessional and, as politely as I could, told him so.

From MarketWatch Jul. 14, 2026

The diary is precious to him, but it is also dangerous.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Since Kahlo became a posthumous sensation, her works have attracted deep-pocket collectors, among them Madonna.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

Shah distanced himself from the ads attacking Jackson and called for them to be taken off the air.

From Salon Jul. 14, 2026

"The biggest worry was that they were going to suffocate in the smoke, but the smoke did carry over them," he said, confirming the animals had survived.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

With the market turning so rapidly, some homeowners who bought recently are losing money when it comes time for them to sell.

From MarketWatch Jul. 14, 2026

To bring them into balance, Dr. Harlow prescribes two powerful drugs—an "emetic" to make Phineas throw up and a "purgative," a powerful laxative, to evacuate his bowels.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Lindsey Graham’s sister is to fill his South Carolina Senate seat.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

With the World Cup now unfolding across Los Angeles, the sisters say they can’t help but feel his presence.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, for his part, has emphasized that inflation must be tamped down, but he has declined to specify how exactly the central bank is likely to handle stubborn price increases.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

On a summer afternoon, his daughters, Gabrielle and Katerina, sit at the Sunset Marquis bar, recounting their father’s remarkable life — particularly his championing of soccer and his contributions to the sport.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

After serving a thirteen-month sentence, he escaped yet again—this time, seeking refuge at his family’s home in the remote mountains of North Carolina.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Krishna said in the last few weeks of June, clients shifted their quarterly capital expenditure to secure supply-constrained infrastructure ahead of a rise in prices, which affected buying patterns.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Over the next several weeks, their sensors noted that the crack was widening about 0.015 of an inch per day, a rate invisible to the eye.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

“When I look at a justice, I look at their qualifications, their integrity, their background, their experience in reaching a decision,” she said.

From Salon Jul. 14, 2026

Students receive valuable feedback while teachers implement the judges’ comments into their teaching approach.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

It’s also possible that their friendship developed while they both fought for the liberation of the Philippines.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

"Machines cannot read our tacit knowledge and we cannot read theirs," he writes.

From Science Daily Jul. 14, 2026

Some like Wanjikũ were given their female surname at birth, but others have chosen theirs to honour their mothers.

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

They also sacrificed their own dreams so their children and grandchildren could achieve theirs.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 1, 2026

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

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

Two stars were supposed to be theirs: the Gemini, the Twins.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton




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