resemble
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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have been resemblingperfect progressive
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has been resemblingperfect progressive
Past
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resembledsimple
-
had resembledperfect
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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:
Using modelling simulations, they determined the most likely scenario was that the object is powered by a central black hole surrounded by a cocoon of gas that makes it resemble a star.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Many of Iraola's attacking principles resemble those of one of his long-time managerial inspirations, the former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The structures repeatedly develop swirling motions that resemble ocean waves as they begin to break.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Suno has not said whether users will be able to press tracks that resemble copyrighted work, what rights users hold in the records they order, or whether the company takes a cut.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 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
Then that truth gets “wrenched through this…assembly line,” until what comes out on the other side barely resembles where it started.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Mr. Daniels, remodeled with heavy hair and makeup, still only vaguely resembles his subject, though he does have an endearing way of imitating Reagan’s tendency to tilt his head this way and that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
In the lion-shaped appearance of the nebula, this stellar remnant resembles a small button nose.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
A man who has not been publicly identified has been “living” inside the billboard since Thursday, in what resembles a fully furnished, air-conditioned living room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The tank resembles the ones they show on the news when talking about war in the Middle East.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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 men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon last month resembled a shootout from the 1990s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 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
Instead, the teeth resembled those of Djarthia murgonensis, an extinct marsupial that lived about 35 million years earlier and is often viewed as a prototype for Australian marsupials.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
When he smiled, he resembled a turtle from a children’s picture book.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Those observations highlighted its distinctive appearance, including a "mane" made up of hazy structures resembling comet tails.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Namgyal worked in Alaska, New York City and finally Colorado, the place most resembling Nepal and the epicenter of yak ranching in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The judge later told them he "rejected the contention" that the teenagers had shown "anything resembling remorse".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Whether those processes constitute anything resembling belief remains an open scientific and philosophical question, not an established fact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Particularly active among them was Hadamar, a castlelike hospital on a hill, and the Brandenburg State Welfare Institute, a brick building resembling a garrison, with rows of windows along its side.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
