seem

verb

ˈsēm How to pronounce seem (audio)
seemed; seeming; seems
Synonyms of seemnext

intransitive verb

1
: to appear to the observation or understanding
2
: to give the impression of being

Synonyms of seem

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Examples of seem in a Sentence

What they're doing doesn't seem right to me. I tried to cheer them up because they seemed depressed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rotating between a starter and an impact substitute, Barcola seemed to be in a hurry to stamp his attacking authority on games and set France on the front foot. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Solo Sikoa called out Seth Rollins, offering him protection from the Bloodline and Rollins seemed open to the offer. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The behavior, known as allogrooming or social grooming, might seem friendly, but new research suggests that might not always be the case. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026 Over the weekend, the blame seemed to shift from Russell’s car to the driver, then back to the car again. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for seem

Word History

Etymology

Middle English semen to appear to be, be fitting, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sœma to honor, sœmr fitting, samr same — more at same

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seem was in the 13th century

Rhymes for seem

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Browse Nearby Words

seely
seem
seemer
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Cite this Entry

“Seem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

seem

verb
ˈsēm How to pronounce seem (audio)
1
: to give the impression of being : appear
the request seems reasonable
2
a
: to appear to a person's own mind or opinion
can't seem to solve the problem
b
: to appear to be
there seems no reason for worry

More from Merriam-Webster on seem

Nglish: Translation of seem for Spanish Speakers

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