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

Lumus specializes in geometric, or reflective, waveguides, a design approach that allows AR displays to be embedded into glasses that closely resemble conventional eyewear. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026

The soil is collapsing, leaving something resembling large puddles among the freshwater marshes. —Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

The sundeck, which Feadship says resembles those on much larger yachts, features a flybridge, a secondary helm station, a bar, a barbecue, and a dining area forward, as well as a bar and lounge aft. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2026

But eventually the experimentation comes to resemble the ebb and flow of the narrative on which both Stewart and Poots have a firm grip. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 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