Definitions

you

[yoo, yoo, yuh] / ju, jʊ, jə /

Part of Speech:

All (5) Pronoun (4) Noun (1)

Jump To:

nominative plural pronoun pron.
nominative singular pronoun pron.
objective singular pronoun pron.
objective plural pronoun pron.
unspecified individual n.

PRONOUN

nominative plural pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

they we

PRONOUN

nominative singular pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

I he it she sie they ve xe ze zie

PRONOUN

objective singular pronoun

Synonyms

WEAK

her him hir it me them ver xem zir

PRONOUN

objective plural pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

them us

NOUN

unspecified individual

Synonyms

STRONGEST

anyone one

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for you?

We don’t traditionally think of you as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words. yourself In some cases, the word yourself (plural, yourselves) is used as another way of saying you. For example, it’s common to say things like You should think for yourself (which avoids using it twice, as in You should think for you). Yourself is also sometimes used in place of you after the words as, than, and but, as in I was a girl no older than yourself. one You is sometimes used not to refer to the listener or reader but to any person in general, much like how the word one is sometimes used, as in You never know what might happen. A more formal way of saying this is One never knows what might happen. y’all and you-all There are a few alternative ways of saying you when it’s plural. The term y’all—a popular shortening of you-all—can be used when referring to multiple people, as in Y’all are my favorite people, or to a person who represents a group or organization, as in Are y’all going to be open on Saturday? These terms (and similar ones like you guys) are typically used in informal communication. yous and youse A plural form of you that is considered nonstandard is yous (or youse) as in Where are yous going? ye and thou Archaic forms of the word you include ye and thou. u You might use the letter u as a substitute for you in very informal communications, such as text messages or online posts, as in i miss u!

What can you use instead of the word you?

There may be some situations when you want to avoid using the word you in a piece of writing, especially in more formal or technical writing, such as a scientific report. In these cases, you can reword things to avoid addressing the reader altogether. For example, instead of saying You’ll see this increase illustrated in the graph below, you could say This increase is illustrated in the graph below. In interpersonal communication, it is often recommended to state grievances without placing blame on the person you’re talking to. Sometimes, the best way to do this is to avoid using the word you. For example, instead of saying You always leave your socks on the floor, try a more tactful phrasing, like It’s frustrating to me when I find socks on the floor.

What kind of pronoun is you?

You 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. You is categorized as a second person pronoun, meaning that it’s used to address the person being spoken to or reading. In contrast, first person pronouns (like I and me) refer to the speaker or writer themselves, and third person pronouns (like he, she, they, him, her, and them) refer to anyone other than the person doing the communicating or the people being addressed. In literature, second-person point of view is a form of narration in which the events of the story are told using the second person. This technique (using you and its other forms) can express the action as if it’s happening from the point of view of the reader (though it may have other effects). It is far less commonly used than first-person point of view and third-person point of view. Unlike many other personal pronouns, you does not change forms depending on whether it’s being used as a subject (as in You handled that nicely) or an object (as in The doctor will examine you now). In contrast, the pronouns I, he, she, and they are used as subjects, while their object counterparts are me, him, her, and them.

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:

you yous your yours

This is by no means the fastest or quickest PWC you can buy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Hey Bill, have you not watched the Tampa Bay Rays at all this year?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

But I don’t think there’s any mystery about what it’s going to be, do you?

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

“What this whole geopolitical situation has brought about is that you need to be redundant in your operations,” the governor of Riksbank, Erik Thedéen, explained in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

“Did I tell you how brave, how strong your pa was when we left Louisiana?”

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

When comedian and actress Amy Poehler of Good Hang with Amy Poehler won the prize, she fangirled over the rapper and excitedly delivered her thank yous.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

The black-clad, 23-year-old singer-songwriter barely spoke to the audience, uttering only a couple of thank yous during one of two solo performances at the venue this past weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

Unlike a typical awards show, the acceptance speeches didn’t include laundry lists of thank yous to studio heads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025

They kissed and exchanged I love yous; Joe shuffled to the door.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2023

“No, no. Don’t put out those candles yet. Bring the girls in. I wanna tell yous about the rogarou tonight.”

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

GPT-4o took the chat in a metaphysical, new-age direction: “Maybe the ‘tone below the tone’ is more like your body or energy field ‘responding.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

“The trick to options trading is, did the underlying move happen quickly enough to defeat your decay,” Sosnick said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

How many points did your team lose by?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

"My wife died and didn't know. I never told anybody. In fact, she always complained - all your friends, when they come visit, they all have stories to tell and you never tell anything."

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

One group thinks the brain is a "whole intelligence," that is, that your brain is one interconnected "mind."

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

"Passwords have not been stolen, so be highly suspicious of any unsolicited text or email asking you to change or share yours," said Trevor Dearing, Senior Director of Critical Infrastructure at Illumio.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

As always, I hope you and yours are well.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

It’s not yours anymore in ways that are a relief, but also in ways that are difficult.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

It’s cozy and low-effort enough to make on repeat for just you and yours, but substantial — and just showy enough — to answer a last-minute “Come over for dinner!” text, too.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

“We have to protect that smart brain of yours from claws and teeth.”

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

you

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

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