seem

verb

seemed; seeming; seems

intransitive verb

1
: to appear to the observation or understanding
2
: to give the impression of being

Examples of seem in a Sentence

What they're doing doesn't seem right to me. I tried to cheer them up because they seemed depressed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That could be the cherry on top of the sundae for the Oilers, who seem to have the Stars figured out in almost every way. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 26 May 2025 By Sunday, that loss seemed a distant memory, though, and for good reason. Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025 Carolina didn’t seem to want much of that on this night, either. Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025 But given reports of people — even with legal status — being detained and questioned at US borders, Ayala said taking a trip out of the country for fun doesn’t seem worth the potential risk. Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for seem

Word History

Etymology

Middle English semen to appear to be, be fitting, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sœma to honor, sœmr fitting, samr same — more at same

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seem was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

seem

verb
1
: to give the impression of being : appear
the request seems reasonable
2
a
: to appear to a person's own mind or opinion
can't seem to solve the problem
b
: to appear to be
there seems no reason for worry

More from Merriam-Webster on seem

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