resemble

verb

re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl 

resembled; resembling ri-ˈzem-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to be like or similar to

he resembles his father

2

archaic : to represent as like

Examples of resemble in a Sentence

He strongly resembles his father in appearance and in temperament.

Terrier dogs closely resemble each other.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tear off the top and there’s a new shape left behind, uncannily resembling what the Z Fold 8 Wide is thought to look like. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

While the Topolino resembles a small car such as the Fiat 500, the EV is actually a quadricycle that functions more like a golf cart. — Steve Sedgwick,leonie Kidd, CNBC, 8 July 2026

In fact, the researchers found that the male dragonflies’ aerial combat behavior closely resembled that of human fighter pilots, with the two insects competing to achieve an advantageous position behind their opponent (chasing the tail). — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026

The proceeding resembles a minitrial, but prosecutors need only demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk and should stand trial. — ABC News, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English resemblen, rasemblen "to be like, compare," borrowed from Anglo-French resembler, rasembler "to be like, appear to be, compare (to)" (also continental Old French), from re- re- + sembler "to look like, seem to be" — more at semblance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for resemble

• semble
• tremble
• assemble
• dissemble
• disassemble
• reassemble

Kids Definition

resemble

verb

re·​sem·​ble ri-ˈzem-bəl 

resembled; resembling -b(ə-)liŋ 

: to be like or similar to

he resembles his father