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

At the Hōshi Ryokan, the daily rituals of preparing baths or meals resemble a kind of stewardship — something that has kept the inn alive for more than 1,300 years. —Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025

The poppy seeds and leopard spots, meantime, resemble markings left behind by metabolizing microbes on Earth. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025

Early observations of these nebulas were described as resembling planets. —Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Overall, respondents expressed a preference for a robot that resembled a dog and appeared approachable in public settings. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 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