50 Idioms for Yourself Meanings & Sentences
50 Idioms for Yourself
1. Be yourself
Meaning: Act in a natural, genuine way
In a Sentence: Don’t try to impress anyone—just be yourself.
Other Ways to Say: Stay authentic, Be genuine
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To study diligently or seriously
In a Sentence: With exams near, Tim had to hit the books.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, Get serious
3. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do
In a Sentence: The quiz was a piece of cake for me.
Other Ways to Say: Easy as pie, A breeze
4. Pull yourself together
Meaning: Regain control of your emotions
In a Sentence: After the bad news, I had to pull myself together.
Other Ways to Say: Get a grip, Calm down
5. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive in difficult situations
In a Sentence: Even after losing the job, he kept his chin up.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Stay hopeful
6. Trust your gut
Meaning: Rely on your intuition
In a Sentence: I didn’t have proof, but I trusted my gut.
Other Ways to Say: Go with your instinct, Follow your intuition
7. Put your foot down
Meaning: To be firm about something
In a Sentence: I had to put my foot down and say no.
Other Ways to Say: Be assertive, Stand your ground
8. Give yourself a pat on the back
Meaning: To praise yourself for a job well done
In a Sentence: After finishing the project early, she gave herself a pat on the back.
Other Ways to Say: Congratulate yourself, Take credit
9. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work late into the night
In a Sentence: I had to burn the midnight oil to meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Work late, Stay up working
10. Keep to yourself
Meaning: Be reserved and not share much
In a Sentence: He usually keeps to himself at work.
Other Ways to Say: Be private, Stay quiet
11. Take it easy on yourself
Meaning: Don’t be too hard on yourself
In a Sentence: You made a mistake—take it easy on yourself.
Other Ways to Say: Forgive yourself, Be kind to yourself
12. Find yourself
Meaning: Discover your true personality or purpose
In a Sentence: She took a year off to find herself.
Other Ways to Say: Self-discover, Reflect
13. Back yourself up
Meaning: Support your own position or actions
In a Sentence: You need to back yourself up with facts.
Other Ways to Say: Defend yourself, Stand by your actions
14. Take care of yourself
Meaning: Look after your physical and mental well-being
In a Sentence: Make sure you take care of yourself during stressful times.
Other Ways to Say: Stay healthy, Look after yourself
15. Be your own boss
Meaning: Work for yourself or make your own decisions
In a Sentence: Freelancing lets you be your own boss.
Other Ways to Say: Be independent, Self-employed
16. Speak for yourself
Meaning: Express your own opinion
In a Sentence: Speak for yourself—I love Mondays!
Other Ways to Say: Share your view, State your opinion
17. Get yourself together
Meaning: Organize your thoughts or behavior
In a Sentence: Before the meeting, I had to get myself together.
Other Ways to Say: Compose yourself, Get ready
18. Think for yourself
Meaning: Make your own decisions
In a Sentence: It’s important to think for yourself, not follow blindly.
Other Ways to Say: Be independent, Use your own judgment
19. Be true to yourself
Meaning: Act according to your beliefs
In a Sentence: Don’t follow trends—be true to yourself.
Other Ways to Say: Stay authentic, Live honestly
20. Give yourself some credit
Meaning: Acknowledge your own efforts
In a Sentence: You did great—give yourself some credit.
Other Ways to Say: Appreciate yourself, Recognize your value
21. Keep yourself in check
Meaning: Control your behavior or emotions
In a Sentence: I had to keep myself in check during the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Maintain control
22. Make a name for yourself
Meaning: Become well-known
In a Sentence: He made a name for himself in tech.
Other Ways to Say: Build your reputation, Gain recognition
23. Get yourself into trouble
Meaning: Involve yourself in a problematic situation
In a Sentence: She always gets herself into trouble by talking too much.
Other Ways to Say: Land in trouble, Stir the pot
24. Lose yourself in something
Meaning: Be completely absorbed in an activity
In a Sentence: I lost myself in the music.
Other Ways to Say: Get immersed, Be absorbed
25. Put yourself in someone’s shoes
Meaning: Imagine being in someone else’s situation
In a Sentence: Try to put yourself in his shoes before judging.
Other Ways to Say: Empathize, Understand others
26. Do it yourself
Meaning: Handle something on your own
In a Sentence: I decided to fix the sink myself—do it yourself!
Other Ways to Say: DIY, Handle it solo
27. Save yourself the trouble
Meaning: Avoid unnecessary effort
In a Sentence: Just ask for help and save yourself the trouble.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid hassle, Skip the stress
28. Let yourself go
Meaning: Stop taking care of yourself or lose control
In a Sentence: After the breakup, he let himself go.
Other Ways to Say: Lose control, Neglect yourself
29. Suit yourself
Meaning: Do what you want
In a Sentence: If you don’t want to join, suit yourself.
Other Ways to Say: Do as you please, Your choice
30. Help yourself
Meaning: Take what you need without asking
In a Sentence: Please, help yourself to some snacks.
Other Ways to Say: Take freely, Go ahead
31. Treat yourself
Meaning: Do something nice for yourself
In a Sentence: I treated myself to ice cream after a long day.
Other Ways to Say: Pamper yourself, Indulge
32. Fool yourself
Meaning: Believe something false about yourself or your situation
In a Sentence: Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s okay.
Other Ways to Say: Deceive yourself, Be in denial
33. Take yourself too seriously
Meaning: Be overly serious or self-important
In a Sentence: He takes himself too seriously at work.
Other Ways to Say: Be uptight, Overthink
34. You’re your own worst enemy
Meaning: You create your own problems
In a Sentence: When it comes to time management, she’s her own worst enemy.
Other Ways to Say: Self-sabotage, Undermine yourself
35. Get yourself together
Meaning: Recover from confusion or chaos
In a Sentence: You need to get yourself together and focus.
Other Ways to Say: Regroup, Pull yourself in
36. Push yourself
Meaning: Make a strong effort
In a Sentence: She really pushed herself to finish the marathon.
Other Ways to Say: Strive, Try hard
37. Take yourself out
Meaning: Go out and enjoy alone time
In a Sentence: I like to take myself out to dinner once a week.
Other Ways to Say: Solo outing, Enjoy me-time
38. Rely on yourself
Meaning: Be self-sufficient
In a Sentence: He learned to rely on himself after moving out.
Other Ways to Say: Be independent, Self-reliant
39. Put yourself out there
Meaning: Take social or emotional risks
In a Sentence: I decided to put myself out there and apply.
Other Ways to Say: Take a chance, Open up
40. Mind your own business
Meaning: Focus on your own affairs
In a Sentence: I wish he would mind his own business.
Other Ways to Say: Stay out of it, Keep to yourself
41. Think highly of yourself
Meaning: Be confident in your worth
In a Sentence: She thinks highly of herself, but not arrogantly.
Other Ways to Say: Be confident, Self-assured
42. You’re not yourself
Meaning: Acting unusually
In a Sentence: Are you okay? You’re not yourself today.
Other Ways to Say: Acting odd, Not normal
43. Do yourself a favor
Meaning: Help yourself by making a good decision
In a Sentence: Do yourself a favor and get more rest.
Other Ways to Say: Help yourself, Make a good move
44. Reinvent yourself
Meaning: Change your image or behavior
In a Sentence: She reinvented herself after college.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Transform
45. Keep yourself busy
Meaning: Stay occupied
In a Sentence: I kept myself busy while waiting for the call.
Other Ways to Say: Stay active, Distract yourself
46. Be beside yourself
Meaning: Extremely emotional
In a Sentence: He was beside himself with anger.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Distraught
47. Hold yourself accountable
Meaning: Take responsibility
In a Sentence: You need to hold yourself accountable for mistakes.
Other Ways to Say: Own up, Be responsible
48. Defend yourself
Meaning: Protect your views or actions
In a Sentence: She defended herself calmly in the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Stand your ground, Justify
49. Take pride in yourself
Meaning: Value your own worth or work
In a Sentence: He takes pride in himself for being honest.
Other Ways to Say: Be proud, Self-respect
50. Center yourself
Meaning: Find inner calm
In a Sentence: I meditated to center myself before the speech.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Ground yourself