seem

Meaning

  1. (copulative) To appear; to look outwardly; to be perceived as.
  2. (obsolete) To befit; to beseem.

Synonyms

appear
B1
look
A1
look like

appear to be

feel
A1
resemble
C2
act
A2
think
A1
🤔
be like
show
A1
as if

be apparently

look as if

defective
C2
display
B2
seen
A1
evident
C2
found
A1
sound
A2
🔉
perceived
C2
if
A1
impact
B2
impinge
impress
B2
influence
B2
introduce
B1
kick in
like
A1
likewise
C1
live
A1
manifest
C2
meseems
methinks
26k
move
A1
occur
C1
offer
A2
peer
C2
prepossess
present
A2
probable
C2
quasi
redound
seemingly
C2
sensed
C2
shew
similar
B2
similarly
C2
smell
A2
👃
strike
B1
suppose
A2
Translations

sembler
parecer
scheinen
sembrare
parere
paraître
lijken
parecer
schijnen
semblar
apparire
overkomen
dünken

φαίνομαι

videor
Frequency

A2
Pronounced as (IPA)
/siːm/
Etymology

Inherited from Middle English
semen
Cognate with Scots
seme
Cognate with Danish
sømme
Cognate with Faroese
søma
Cognate with Old Norse
sómi
Cognate with Danish
somme
Cognate with Old Norse
sœmr
Cognate with Old English
sēman
Cognate with Old English
sōm
In summary

From Middle English semen (“to seem, befit, be becoming”), from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to, beseem, befit”), from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną (“to unite, fit”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). Cognate with Scots seme (“to be fitting; beseem”), Danish sømme (“to beseem”), Old Swedish søma, Faroese søma (“to be proper”). Related also to Old Norse sómi (“honour”) ( > archaic Danish somme (“decent comportment”)), Old Norse sœmr (“fitting, seemly”), Old English sēman (“to reconcile, bring an agreement”), Old English sōm (“agreement”).

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