resemble
Americanverb (used with object)
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to be like or similar to.
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Archaic. to liken or compare.
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
The world was filled with unusual creatures experimenting with body shapes and lifestyles that often resemble modern animals or later dinosaurs.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
On the first day of class, professor Reiko Hillyer writes a quote from French philosopher Michel Foucault on the board: Is it surprising that prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, which all resemble prisons?
From Slate • May 27, 2026
Early symptoms resemble those of other, more common diseases: fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
WHO's Africa regional director Mohamed Yakub Janabi said Ebola had had a silent early phase, when symptoms resemble malaria or typhoid, meaning transmission can remain undetected.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The guns and the wagons float past the dim background of the moonlit landscape, the riders in their steel helmets resemble knights of a forgotten time; it is strangely beautiful and arresting.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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.
