seem

verb

ˈsēm 

seemed; seeming; seems

intransitive verb

1

: to appear to the observation or understanding

2

: to give the impression of being

Synonyms of seem

• look
• feel
• sound
• appear

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

Earthshine will make the view seem almost three-dimensional. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 May 2026

Firmly anchored in an otherwise indeterminate space, the totem seems to express a yearning for transcultural commonality. —Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026

The 52-year-old conspiracy theorist and his webcast crew raised their cups for a toast Thursday night as Jones seemed to concede his Austin, Texas studio was shutting down. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026

Here, Fergal arrives just in time to rescue Ohm, who recovers at a local hospital and seems fundamentally changed by his experience. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026

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

Rhymes for seem

• beam
• bream
• cream
• creme
• deem
• dream
• gleam
• meme
• ream
• scheme
• scream
• seam

Kids Definition

seem

verb

ˈsēm 

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