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bring oneself to

B2 neutral inseparable transitive

to make yourself do something difficult or unpleasant

In plain English

to make yourself do something you really do not want to do

What does "bring oneself to" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

to force or persuade yourself to do something difficult, embarrassing, or upsetting

"I couldn't bring myself to delete the last message from her."

I couldn't bring myself to do it.

— Common interview and memoir phrasing; no single secure citation recalled
inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

to lead yourself to the point of doing something

Actually means

to make yourself do something you really do not want to do

Usage tip

Almost always used in negatives or questions: 'I couldn't bring myself to say it.'

Words that pair with "bring oneself to"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

say tell ask look leave admit

How to conjugate "bring oneself to"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
bring oneself to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
brings oneself to
he/she/it
Past simple
brought oneself to
yesterday
Past participle
brought oneself to
have + pp
-ing form
bringing oneself to
continuous

Hear "bring oneself to" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "bring oneself to" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "bring oneself to"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

be able to do force oneself make oneself manage to do

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