Phrase guide

reflexive verb

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A verb whose subject and direct object are the same.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The verb 'ask' in 'ask yourself' is a reflexive verb.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a verb whose agent performs an action that is directed at the agent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the sentence `he washed' has a reflexive verb
  • `perjure' is a reflexive verb because you cannot perjure anyone but yourself

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: verb

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: folje vetvetore — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Belarusian: зваро́тны дзеясло́ў (zvarótny dzjejaslów) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Bulgarian: възвра́тен глаго́л (vǎzvráten glagól) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Catalan: verb reflexiu — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反身動詞 /反身动词 (fǎnshēn dòngcí) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Czech: zvratné sloveso — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Czech: reflexivum — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Danish: refleksiv verbum — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Dutch: wederkerend werkwoord — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Estonian: enesekohane tegusõna — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Finnish: refleksiiviverbi — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • French: verbe réfléchi — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Georgian: უკუქცევითი ზმნა (uḳukceviti zmna) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • German: reflexives Verb — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • German: Reflexivverb — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • German: rückbezügliches Verb — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • German: rückbezügliches Zeitwort — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Hungarian: visszaható ige — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Icelandic: afturbeygð sögn — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Italian: verbo riflessivo — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Japanese: 再帰動詞 (saiki dōshi) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Korean: 재귀동사 (jaegwidongsa) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Macedonian: рефлекси́вен глагол (refleksíven glagol) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Norman: vèrbe réfliéchi — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: refleksiv verb — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Polish: czasownik zwrotny — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Portuguese: verbo reflexivo — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Romanian: verb reflexiv — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Russian: возвра́тный глаго́л (vozvrátnyj glagól) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Russian: рефлекси́вный глаго́л (refleksívnyj glagól) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Serbo-Croatian: повратни глагол — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Serbo-Croatian: povratni glagol — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Slovak: zvratné sloveso — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Slovene: povratni glagol — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Spanish: verbo reflexivo — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Swedish: reflexiv verb — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Turkish: dönüşlü eylem — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Ukrainian: зворо́тне дієсло́во (zvorótne dijeslóvo) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object
  • Ukrainian: рефлекси́вне дієсло́во (refleksývne dijeslóvo) — verb with equivalent subject and direct object