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

It was layered and ruched with bows; printed with graphic sketching; dip-dyed to resemble a Rothko painting; and embroidered all over with crystals. — Scarlett Conlon, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

The company also wants a permanent injunction to prevent Five Below from selling products that resemble Crocs. — Erin McCarthy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Wever, meanwhile, costars as producer Andie Bender, a fictional character who might resemble Predator producer Lynn Keller. — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026

The museum explained in the caption that, based on other nearby sites with more complete paleofloral records, researchers believe the area resembled a warm, wet, swampy environment — similar to the Mississippi River delta today. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 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