Definitions

I

PRONOUN

nominative singular pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

he it she sie they ve xe you ze zie

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s another way to say I?

We don’t traditionally think of I as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words. me Me is sometimes used in place of I in a very informal way, as in Me and Greg are going hiking on Saturday. Such sentences are considered grammatically incorrect, but they’re very common in casual speech. It’s also commonly used after linking verbs (like is and was) in sentences like It’s me or as an alternative to the awkward-sounding It is I (or This is he or This is she). These kinds of constructions are especially common in situations when identifying yourself at someone’s door or on the phone, or perhaps when pointing yourself out in a photo (Hey, that’s me!). Though considered informal, this use of me is much more widely accepted. myself The word myself is sometimes used in place me or I, especially in cases in which there is a compound subject, object, or complement (meaning one that has more than one person or thing), as in John and myself were asked to attend or The event was planned by Kim and myself. slang synonyms for I There are a few creative, informal ways of referring to oneself. One common one is yours truly, which is often used as a way to end a letter before signing your name, but can also be used in place of me, myself, or I in certain cases, as in Guess what? Yours truly is the lucky winner. Other phrases can be used in the same way, such as this guy.

What can I say instead of I?

There may be some situations when you want to avoid using the words me or I in a piece of writing, such as in journalism or a scientific report. This is typically done to avoid focusing on the writer’s point of view and to create a sense of objectivity. In these cases, you can reword things to avoid referring to yourself altogether. For example, instead of saying I will further discuss this data in the next chapter, you could rephrase with a passive construction, as in This data will be further discussed in the next chapter. Though less common today, journalists have sometimes used terms like this writer when referring to themselves, especially in columns or opinion pieces, as in This writer will certainly not endorse such legislation. Despite the tradition of avoiding the use of me and I in journalism, using a firsthand point of view can be very effective and may even be preferable in certain cases, especially when the writer is a part of the story being told.

What kind of pronoun is I?

I 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 one communicating, to the one being addressed, or the one being talked about. I is a nominative pronoun, meaning that it’s typically used as a subject of a sentence. On the other hand, me is an objective pronoun, which means that it’s used as an object. I, along with me (and forms like myself and mine), is categorized as a first person pronoun, meaning it refers to the speaker or writer themselves. In contrast, a second person pronoun (like you) is one that’s used to address the person being spoken to or reading. Third person pronouns (like he, she, they, him, her, and them) refer to anyone other than the person doing the addressing or the ones being addressed. In literature, first-person point of view is a common form of narration in which the events of the story are told using the first person, as if the action is happening from the point of view of the narrator.

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.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is ultimately not what I wanted,” Tong said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

The prime minister added: "We've all heard the warnings – which we must heed. I know how worried people are. So we have to rise to this moment."

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

We would have taken a Porsche if I was in a different gate area, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“I am just a regular person, but I care deeply about my community, my state and my country,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Trembling, I inch closer to the blunt head and beady eyes.

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

The medieval Cloth Hall and St. Martin’s Church were two of the most prominent monuments in Ypres, Belgium, and among World War I’s early casualties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

The company taking the top spot on Gauntlet I’s leaderboard External link was Skycutter, a British startup that partnered with Ukrainian drone company SkyFall.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

“I don’t carry beef with people. And I’m not going to get into the history of Doc and I’s relationship right now. And I probably won’t ever. He’s fine in my book.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2024

In a statement read to the public inquiry examining how Letby was able to attack babies, Child I's mother said: "I believe the doctors and nursing staff should have acted earlier."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2024

She dots her I’s with little round circles, like Orphan Annie eyes, or bubbles.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

All I Want for Christmas Is You eventually overtook that, thanks to its habit of returning to the charts every December.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Is he going to be game for the comedy part of it?’

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Ella Langley's country smash Choosin' Texas has overtaken Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You to become the longest-running number one single in US chart history.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

MarketWatch: Is AI going to make it easier or harder for the next generation of entrepreneurs to build wealth?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Is Mrs. Morello secretly dating our guidance counselor?

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

In one of our final negotiation sessions, when we’re supposed to be dotting i’s and crossing t’s, he worries aloud about how these two vastly different companies are going to mesh their different cultures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

"I had really dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's of the experiment," he said.

From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026

“I know sometimes people feel like, why hasn’t there been more information? But again, just trying to make sure we have i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025

"Your proposal does not adequately acknowledge the multiple and significant challenges such a transaction would face from US competition law enforcement agencies," Seven & i's letter added.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2024

I’ve won the writing prize twice, and I would have this week, too, but I decided to leave some i’s undotted.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

“I believe there is power in ordinary people speaking the truth.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

So now Trump is launching his own news service, which is mostly just a live feed on the White House app and YouTube channel.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

The prime minister has acknowledged that while developers have made significant commitments on transparency, nothing is off the table to keep the public safe, including legislation.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Smith said his members have relied on the FDA’s leniency for 25 years, and that the era is ending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

But Joey wants to stay where she is, looking straight ahead at a future in America.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Gen. Andrea Joy Campbell said the states were “unable to secure every protection we fought for,” and that she “would have liked to see more.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

"On top of that we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions. And we know that AI will multiply the threat."

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

So we hopped in a standard-issue cart for a four-minute drive to the Delta Sky Club near gate A8.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

How have social media algorithms changed the way we interact?

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Slowly, we maneuver down the rise into and through the crowded Main Street.

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

The basic Five Star service comes with Admirals Club access, but Tara dropped me off at the swankier Flagship lounge because it wasn’t busy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

My greeter, Natalee, texted me to take my time getting out of the vehicle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

It was very emotional for me and brought back a lot of memories and a lot of my frustrations on her behalf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

"You have destroyed my whole world. If Immy was here now, I know exactly what she would say to me, but I'm not Immy and I will never forgive you."

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Father stoops, pushing me flat, slipping a blanket beneath my head.

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

Others told us of fears that their land would be taken and they would no longer be able to farm for a living.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Before we talk about the complexity of it, I would love for you to just tell us the history of the case and what the issue is.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

In contrast, in the other weeks of the quarter, company news affords us much less insight about the health of the overall economy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

“There are some who wish to make us believe that only two powers, the U.S. and China, will be taking the decisions,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

A merchant in a red-striped apron approaches us.

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

Like the others who had been detained, the young man, in his 20s, is an artisanal miner, eking out a living searching for precious metals at mine sites.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

They allowed me to have my guitar — I remember a friend of mine dropped off a guitar for me, and it sat in the corner for most of the time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Coal ash, red mud, and mine tailings are usually treated as major waste problems.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

While domestic mine output remains broadly stable, ample seaborne supply continues to cap the upside, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

I took Betsie’s pillowcase along with mine, hooked my other arm through hers, and hauled her along beside me.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

“I am just a regular person, but I care deeply about my community, my state and my country,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

My greeter, Natalee, texted me to take my time getting out of the vehicle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

United is an outlier in my test because it outsources its service to Global Airport Concierge, which offers services at airports around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“And as always, playing with my teammates as well.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

I’m not ready to face my grandmother and admit to her that I have not decided what to do about my Flash.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"On top of that we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions. And we know that AI will multiply the threat."

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

“These assistants get better and better as we, the consumers, learn how to best interact with them and direct our agents.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

While this is a true crime story with shaky alibis and prosecutorial misconduct, it is less a whodunit and more a nuanced exploration of reasonable doubt and how our system works or doesn’t.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“We were deeply saddened to learn of Ms. Eckhart’s passing, and our thoughts are with her family at this time,” Willemin told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

In our time, Professor Malcolm Macmillan, an Australian psychologist who is the world's leading expert on Phineas Gage, makes a massive effort to track down the story.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Whenever he seems confused, I’m delighted; it’s reassuring to see someone so smart still struggle to fathom this thing of ours.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

“It looked like this newsroom has money and ours doesn’t,” Koman adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

They’re surprisingly warm inside, and ours made a cozy setting for pork belly skewers, crab puffs and smoked cocktails.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

"Back then, the settlers were living alongside us, and we coexisted peacefully. They lived their lives and we lived ours," he told me.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Our neighbor’s house had a larger yard than ours, with what looked like good grass.

From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen

I

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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