# resemble

/ɹiˈzɛmbəɫ/ (US) · /ɹɪsˈɛmbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/resemble
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to look like

verb · CEFR B1

to look like or be similar to someone or something else.

For teachers: to be similar to or to bear a likeness to another entity in appearance or quality.

- The two brothers resemble each other so much that people often confuse them.
- The new office complex was designed to resemble a traditional village, featuring narrow walkways and small, separate buildings.

Usage: This is a stative verb; it is rarely used in the continuous (-ing) form.

Teaching tip: Learners often try to use 'resemble' with 'to' because of the phrase 'similar to'. Remind them it works like the verb 'like' in 'looks like'.

### 2. to compare

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to say that one thing is like another.

For teachers: to liken or compare one thing to another. This usage is now rare in modern speech.

- The poet resembles the falling snow to the passing of time.
- In his earlier essays, the philosopher resembles the human mind to a blank slate upon which experience writes.

Usage: In this sense, the verb is often followed by 'to'.

Teaching tip: This sense is found in older literature; modern speakers should use 'liken' or 'compare' instead.

## Examples

- The two brothers resemble each other very much.
- The new office building was designed to resemble a stack of books to reflect the company's history.
- While the early prototypes resemble the final product in basic form, they lack the sophisticated internal mechanisms that define the current iteration's performance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.