seem

verb

\ˈsēm

\

seemed; seeming; seems

Definition of seem

intransitive verb

1 : to appear to the observation or understanding

2 : to give the impression of being

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about seem

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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

Indeed Trump does seem to consider that US leadership in NATO – and US military spending that dwarfs that of all other NATO members combined – give the US president a right to demand things of his European counterparts. — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "How strong a Europe does US want? In Trump era, that's still the issue.," 13 July 2018 To say that Kevin Anderson won this interminable Wimbledon semifinal, and that John Isner lost it, didn't really seem fair. — Howard Fendrich, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois alumnus Kevin Anderson beats John Isner in longest semifinal in Wimbledon history," 13 July 2018 The price is below Comcast's most recent offer and on par with Fox's latest bid, so the ruling doesn't seem to have any immediate impact on current bids. — Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, "U.K. Takeover Panel Sets Minimum Price Disney Would Have to Pay for Sky," 13 July 2018 Here’s why: Trump doesn’t seem to accept that fossil fuel extraction has costs—to the environment and people’s health. — Zack Colman, Scientific American, "A Trump Oil Boom Could Transform This Rocky Mountain Landscape," 13 July 2018 At least publicly, Pelosi does not seem to be worried. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "More than 20 Democratic House candidates want Nancy Pelosi to step aside after 2018," 12 July 2018 My husband, surprisingly enough, didn’t seem to mind. — Rebecca Reid, Marie Claire, "I Tried 11 Sex Apps to Spice Up My Marriage," 11 July 2018 His vacant half smile didn’t seem as charming today. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "A transgender girl rises up against alien invaders in Rich Larson’s novel Annex," 8 July 2018 But that possibility seemed far off on a recent cloudless weekday afternoon. — Todd Wallack, BostonGlobe.com, "For some State Police, it’s a posting in paradise," 14 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Nov 2018

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

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More Definitions for seem

seem

verb

English Language Learners Definition of seem

: to appear to be something or to do something : to have a quality, appearance, etc., that shows or suggests a particular characteristic, feeling, etc.

—used with it to make a statement about what appears to be true based on what is known

See the full definition for seem in the English Language Learners Dictionary

seem

verb

\ˈsēm

\

seemed; seeming