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 new building has features and dimensions closely resembling those of the Kangson site, a facility west of the capital long suspected to be a uranium enrichment plant believed to produce uranium-235, the fissile material essential for nuclear weapons. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

There are tribes of fast, feral predators that resemble the second coming of neanderthals. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025

Democrats have characterized identity concealment as resembling tactics used by authoritarian regimes. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 18 June 2025

The people of the planet dress in clothes that resemble everyday Parisian looks of the 1930s and the planet is known for its superior cloth and fashions. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 17 June 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