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

But Caleb Williams is promising, and Ben Johnson seems like the real deal, so how far can the offense carry this team? — Chad Graff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Part of the brand’s appeal is that even its placemats and wristwatches seem imbued with terroir. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Playing with older kids who were also talented seemed like a great idea. — Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Waller’s signing was splashy — and seemed, at least from the outside, to directly threaten Sanders’ role on the team. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 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