resemble
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to look like or be similar to someone or something else.
to be similar to or to bear a likeness to another entity in appearance or quality.
Simple“The two brothers resemble each other so much that people often confuse them.”
In context“The new office complex was designed to resemble a traditional village, featuring narrow walkways and small, separate buildings.”
UsageThis is a stative verb; it is rarely used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Teacher's tipLearners often try to use 'resemble' with 'to' because of the phrase 'similar to'. Remind them it works like the verb 'like' in 'looks like'.
PitfallShe resembles to her mother. She resembles her mother.The verb 'resemble' is transitive and takes a direct object; do not use the preposition 'to' after it.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
to say that one thing is like another.
to liken or compare one thing to another. This usage is now rare in modern speech.
Simple“The poet resembles the falling snow to the passing of time.”
In context“In his earlier essays, the philosopher resembles the human mind to a blank slate upon which experience writes.”
UsageIn this sense, the verb is often followed by 'to'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is found in older literature; modern speakers should use 'liken' or 'compare' instead.
Synonymslikencompare
Usage resembles an enormous
“Prof Ramesh says a CME occurs when these twisting, looping lines - which resemble braided hair - rupture, throwing out massive clouds of magnetised plasma and gas in space.”
“Measurements of the exotic body found that while it resembles an immense star, it releases 100bn times more energy than any known star can produce.”
From Middle English resemblen, from Anglo-Norman resembler, ressembler, from re- + sembler (“to seem”). By surface analysis, re- + semble.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.