Seem: meaning, definitions and examples

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seem

 

[ siːm ]

Context #1

general

Give the impression of being something or having a particular quality.

Synonyms

appear, come across as, look, sound

Examples of usage

  • She seemed happy to see me.
  • It seems like a good idea.
Context #2

opinion

Used to express uncertainty or probability.

Synonyms

appear, give the impression of, look like

Examples of usage

  • It seems that he is late.
  • She seems to be enjoying herself.

Translations

Translations of the word "seem" in other languages:

🇵🇹 parecer

🇮🇳 लगना

🇩🇪 scheinen

🇮🇩 tampak

🇺🇦 здаватися

🇵🇱 wydawać się

🇯🇵 見える (mieru)

🇫🇷 sembler

🇪🇸 parecer

🇹🇷 görünmek

🇰🇷 보이다 (boida)

🇸🇦 يبدو (yabdu)

🇨🇿 zdát se

🇸🇰 zdať sa

🇨🇳 似乎 (sìhū)

🇸🇮 zdeti se

🇮🇸 virðast

🇰🇿 секілді болу

🇬🇪 ჩანს (chans)

🇦🇿 görünmək

🇲🇽 parecer

Word origin

The word 'seem' originated from the Old Norse word 'sœma', meaning 'to honor'. Over time, the meaning evolved to convey the sense of appearance or likelihood. It has been used in English since the Middle Ages, adapting to express uncertainty or probability in addition to appearance.

See also: seeming, seemingly, unseemly.