seem

verb

ˈsēm 

seemed; seeming; seems

intransitive verb

1

: to appear to the observation or understanding

2

: to give the impression of being

Synonyms

• act
• appear
• come across (as)
• come off (as)
• feel
• look
• make
• sound

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

Matthew Golden may seem like a bit of reach given he often wasn't mocked in the first round before the combine, but taking the combine into consideration and more time leading up to the draft, he may be viewed as a clear first-round prospect by then. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025

When a seeming Good Samaritan character shows up—like Alice, heard only through the phone— our hackles are instantly raised — how can a voice so saccharine conjure so much fright? —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025

The decline has come in the shadow of President Donald Trump’s burgeoning trade war with several of the United States’ major trading partners, with headlines about tariffs at times seeming to drive market moves. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025

Clearly anything with elastic corners that lives in your linen closet requires folding savvy, especially if dealing with a duvet cover seems easier. —Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 14 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for seem

• beam
• bream
• cream
• creme
• deem
• dream
• gleam
• meme
• ream
• scheme
• scream
• seam

Kids Definition

seem

verb

ˈsēm 

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