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

Alas, the Criterion Collection, at a glance, is a bunch of old movies on DVD, and yet, one that has grown to resemble a large, quite selective archive intended to withstand the ephemeral winds of Netflix, Peacock and Prime. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026

The device resembles a traditional landline telephone, complete with a cord and handset, but connects through a home's internet connection rather than a traditional copper telephone line. — Amy Corral, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026

The statement also set out plans to 3D-scan metasequoia fossils, trunks and the garden’s greenhouse, then move through the digital models with a virtual camera to create effects that resemble a video game. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026

Phishing emails resemble legitimate messages and are designed to spoof recipients into giving up personal data. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 12 Nov. 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