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 Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released photos showing one drone lodged in a tree, described by analysts as resembling a South Korean military unmanned aerial vehicle. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 14 Nov. 2025

The team claims the cave-forming process likely resembled that of karstic cave formations on Earth. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025

Inside the space, which resembles a large apartment, several cozy couches invite visitors to get comfortable. —Miranda Dunlap, jsonline.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Brown could be seen running toward the group while holding something in his hand seconds before a loud sound resembling gun shots is heard, PEOPLE previously reported. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 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