resemble
Americanverb (used with object)
-
resembles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resembled,
past participle, past
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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
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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
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is resemblingprogressive
-
have been resemblingperfect progressive
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has been resemblingperfect progressive
Past
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resembledsimple
-
had resembledperfect
-
was resemblingprogressive
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were resemblingprogressive
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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:
A majority are women, many of whom draw on their experience as parents; this matters because people often seek health information from others whose experiences resemble their own.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
These medium-sized mammals, found only in Africa and Asia, have long, powerful tails, large curved claws, and bodies covered in overlapping scales that resemble a pinecone.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Those safe havens come in the form of nest boxes, specially designed to resemble the tree cavities barn owls nest in that are disappearing from our countryside.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
It sounds like the Afghan Whigs trying very hard to be The Replacements, and does not remotely resemble everything that came after it.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Desks come to resemble their owners, the way dogs do.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
That change triggers signaling within the retina in a way that resembles the normal visual process.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
An adult purple gallinule has a bright purple and green body with a pale blue marking that resembles a shield above its red and yellow bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Leap of Faith” has a country-style lyric of struggles to get by in a “gritty old town,” but the sound more closely resembles cheerful “heartland rock.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Texas Instruments’ Evo has moved to a menu-based interface that resembles that of Casio and NumWorks, according to Choudhury.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The dash resembles something from a retro sci-fi movie, a spaceship’s control panels or Doc Brown’s modified DeLorean.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The U.S. effort has increasingly resembled a game of whack-a-mole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
As the zebrafish grew older, they developed spinal abnormalities that closely resembled disc disease in people.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Although it resembled an enormous alligator, it belonged to an ancient lineage of crocodilians, the broader group that includes modern crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
The S&P 500 has recently resembled the way it looked five years ago, when investors started to play it safer, according to Morgan Stanley.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Renn resembled Hord in feature, and Torak wondered if they were brother and sister, although Renn was younger by four or five summers.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The prosecutor sometimes courted publicity and controversy, showing up outside James’s Brooklyn home in a trench coat resembling that of TV police lieutenant Columbo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Anything resembling a larger project, he said, had been put on hold.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
They were committed but lacked much resembling a goal threat.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Another potential scenario, Shpaizman said, is one resembling the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, as they tried to stop certification of his election defeat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
He grasps me by the shoulder with something resembling pride.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions 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.
