🇬🇧 Itself meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

“Itself” is a word we use when we are talking about a thing, animal, situation, or idea and we want to point back to it strongly. It means that the thing is doing something or experiencing something on its own, without another person or thing doing it. For example, if a door closes by itself, no one pushed it - it did the action on its own. We use “itself” to shine a little spotlight on the thing we are talking about.

The soccer ball rolled into the goal all by itself, probably to feel important.

The computer froze itself right when I was about to win the game—very suspicious.

The cookie jar somehow emptied itself, and now everyone is a suspect.

The clock ticked so loudly it seemed to be clapping for itself every second.

The sock hid itself under the bed so it wouldn’t have to be washed.

A small duck finds a red toy boat stuck in mud. The boat pulls itself free, then the duck pushes itself into the water. The boat shakes itself, the duck climbs in, and the boat lets itself float. The duck laughs as it sails away and the little boat holds itself still.

This word is at the B1 level, which means it’s important for understanding and discussing familiar topics like work, school, or leisure. Words at this level help you express your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with more detail.

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