resemble
Americanverb (used with object)
-
resembles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resembled,
past participle, past
-
resembling
present participle
-
to be like or similar to.
-
Archaic. to liken or compare.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resemblesimple
-
resemblessimple
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have resembledperfect
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has resembledperfect
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am resemblingprogressive
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are resemblingprogressive
-
is resemblingprogressive
-
have been resemblingperfect progressive
-
has been resemblingperfect progressive
Past
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resembledsimple
-
had resembledperfect
-
was resemblingprogressive
-
were resemblingprogressive
-
had been resemblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resemble
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English resemblen, from Middle French resembler, Old French, from re- re- + sembler “to seem, be like” (from Latin similāre, derivative of similis “like”; see similar)
Explanation
Have you noticed that many pet owners resemble their pets? Or is it that pets resemble their owners? Either way, it’s downright strange how they often look alike. Derived from the old French word sembler, “to appear,” the verb resemble can imply a whole spectrum of likeness. For example, you might closely resemble your schnauzer or, hopefully, only vaguely resemble each other. It’s not just about appearance, either. This concept can include all kinds of characteristics. Two companies can resemble each other and the same could be said of two philosophies.
Vocabulary lists containing resemble
List 2
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"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Holes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The person on the other end may claim to represent a bank or lender and use scripts that closely resemble those of legitimate customer-service representatives.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
The images resemble holograms, though they are solid to the touch; they seem to be projections that the boy has manifested to ease his loneliness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Occasionally, the blunt-headed whale seems to resemble Brolin himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
The results resemble a pattern already documented in maternal mortality research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
The haunting notes didn’t resemble an organ, a piano, a fiddle, or any instrument of this world.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
"Other Mommy," from Universal and Blumhouse, stars Chastain in a dual role as a sinister entity terrorizing a child -- made even worse by the fact that the demon resembles the girl's mother.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
This city of 350,000 resembles an oil-industry graveyard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Trapped in this stiffer, earlier incarnation, the only acting Strong is able to do is poke his head straight up from his shoulders until he resembles a retractable pen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
His every motive feels ulterior, and his inevitable simmering romance with Lowen resembles a can of worms that could pop open at any moment.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
If it’s been frozen before shipping, then the poi clumps together and resembles paste.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Although it resembled esterases, which are known for breaking down ester bonds, it also shared structural similarities with another important family of bacterial enzymes: beta-lactamases.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
In 2024, the actor threatened legal action against OpenAI after the company released its voice assistant — known as Sky — for ChatGPT, which she alleged resembled her voice without her consent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Perhaps states thought lethal injection would fare better in court because it resembled a familiar medical procedure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
On the surface, it seems like harmless video game humor, and I’m sure we’ve all had encounters with actual humans that resembled interacting with tautological machines programmed with limited responses.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Toward evening, the coachman called out, "Nottaway!" and he reined his team outside a tumbledown inn, built against what resembled the ruins of a giant's cottage.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Huang's "defence of CoreWeave's financial position was enough to pull the NeoCloud complex off the floor, drag AI equities higher and give the broader market something resembling a pulse", wrote SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Whether it could exercise anything resembling independent oversight is questionable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Instead of a smooth rise and fall, the brightness repeatedly traced something resembling a triangle.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
AI slop has begun appearing on restaurant menus, signs and advertisements, offering food imagery that looks optimized for appetite without necessarily resembling anything a person could cook.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
One side proposes that Monte Alban formed because maize agriculture allowed the Oaxaca Valley’s population to grow so much that the rural villages naturally clustered into something resembling cities.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
