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

These beads resembled tiny holes in the light, staying stable for hours and drifting only a few degrees over the course of the day, the new study reports. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2025

Zoë Kravitz even donned an Alexander Wang dress that closely resembled Hepburn’s wedding gown from Funny Face for her 2019 wedding to ex-husband Karl Glusman, opting for a tea-length dress with a drop waist. —Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025

However, while Yunxian 2’s large, squat braincase did resemble that of Homo erectus, other features of the skull, such as flat and shallow cheekbones, did not. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025

Gaza resembles these other examples not only in scale but in the elements of intent and conduct. —Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 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