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

The area is a vast, rural, mountainous tract of forests with a political ethos that resembles Texas more than Los Angeles, San Francisco, the state capital of Sacramento, and other liberal Democratic environs. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

But even without European football, and after a decade in which Old Trafford has at times resembled a graveyard for promising careers, the lure of Manchester United — in terms of glamour, prestige and finance — remains powerful. —Oliver Kay, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025

By midweek, the workplace apparently resembled a corporate museum exhibit. —Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

From the outset, the cosmic-folk group resembled not only a band but an ongoing emotional experiment. —Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 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