seem
Americanverb (used without object)
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to appear to be, feel, do, etc..
She seems better this morning.
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to appear to one's own senses, mind, observation, judgment, etc..
It seems to me that someone is calling.
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to appear to exist.
There seems no need to go now.
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to appear to be true, probable, or evident.
It seems likely to rain.
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to give the outward appearance of being or to pretend to be.
He only seems friendly because he wants you to like him.
verb
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(copula) to appear to the mind or eye; look
this seems nice
the car seems to be running well
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to give the impression of existing; appear to be
there seems no need for all this nonsense
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used to diminish the force of a following infinitive to be polite, more noncommittal, etc
I can't seem to get through to you
Synonym Usage
Seem, appear, look refer to an outward aspect that may or may not be contrary to reality. Seem is applied to something that has an aspect of truth and probability: It seems warmer today. Appear suggests the giving of an impression that may be superficial or illusory: The house appears to be deserted. Look more vividly suggests the use of the eye (literally or figuratively) or the aspect as perceived by the eye: She looked very much frightened.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seemsimple
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seemssimple
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have seemedperfect
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has seemedperfect
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am seemingprogressive
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are seemingprogressive
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is seemingprogressive
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have been seemingperfect progressive
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has been seemingperfect progressive
Past
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seemedsimple
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had seemedperfect
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was seemingprogressive
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were seemingprogressive
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had been seemingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of seem
First recorded before 1150–1200; Middle English seme, from Old Norse sœma “to befit, beseem,” derivative of sœmr “fitting, seemly”; akin to sōmi “honor”
Explanation
Seem means "to give a certain impression," usually by physical appearance like your messy hair and wrinkled clothing that made it seem like you just rolled out of bed. The verb seem has several definitions. It can mean "to be apparent, or probable," like the nice person you just met who seems like he'll make a good friend. Seem can also mean "to appear to exist," like when heat shimmering on pavement makes it seem like there is a puddle on the road. The word comes from the Old Norse word soema meaning "to befit, conform to."
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:
"Sometimes you are asked to put money into someone's bank account and there's a lot of pressure there. You can't just put a few quid in or you'll seem tight."
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“It makes it seem like the online world is more blown out of proportion than what real life is.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Having now done this for a decade, playing Mad Libs the way that the folks who recruited him to run seem to have done is not going to always yield the best results,” she said.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The AI models, in broad strokes, seem to agree.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Today the sky did not seem larger above the Wagenweg.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
“Salsa seems to me like a stage that invites one to express themselves fully, speak loudly, dance freely and feel powerful.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
If this seems confusing, that is the point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Here, AI seems to be saying, most of your money should be in stocks, with some debate over how much into government bonds and how much corporate credit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Maybe turning video games into Netflix isn’t a good idea, though that seems to be working for PlayStation.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
It seems so silly now—the idea that anyone is ever feeling only one thing.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Wall Street seemed to ignore all the weakness, with some analysts doubling down on their bullish calls.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
With McCain, and even with Lieberman, this seemed natural.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
At first, those ideas made black holes appear incompatible with the familiar laws of thermodynamics because they seemed to have infinite entropy and no temperature.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
This was the ’90s, and I remember how surprising it seemed that she was pregnant when she was already so old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
It almost seemed as if these humans sensed the Afterlife realms—some unconscious part of them guiding them along the path of least resistance.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Far from seeming like a steely leader in a rigorous era, he instead recalls all those gentle, soft, pouty-lipped dreamboats who pop up interchangeably in young-adult soaps on the streaming services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
On the issue of seeming discrepancies in claims for travel and hotel accommodation by the MP, Walker said he had received "detailed information" that led him to conclude they were due to "dating errors".
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
A turquoise William Turnbull sculpture is between them, and another sculpture by Henry Moore is in the background, a seeming replication of Marcia’s stiff stance in her bright pink, floor-length dress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
“I don’t have a pair, so I’m not important enough,” Mato confessed, seeming to confirm that Florsheims have become something of a status symbol inside the administration.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
She had a way of never seeming surprised by her children’s questions.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
