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

Many of its gift sets of the toffee are sold in pouches that resemble canning jars – how the original toffee was sold and still is. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025

The key to making a village resemble an authentic albeit miniature city is incorporating elevation and depth. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025

And, of course, a whole lot of cheese, mixed in a handful at a time, until the sauce resembles Alfredo. —Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025

The non-biting midge resembles a rice grain and survives in damp moss and algae along the Antarctic Peninsula. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Dec. 2025

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