Word
Definition
v. to give the impression of being something or having a certain quality.
v. to give the impression of being or doing something; functions as a linking verb followed by an adjective, noun, or infinitive.
Examples
“You seem happy today.”
“The new software might seem complicated at first, but it becomes much easier to use after a few hours of practice.”
“While the initial results seem promising, the research team remains cautious until they can replicate the findings under more controlled laboratory conditions.”
Examples
simple
“You seem happy today.”
contextual
“The new software might seem complicated at first, but it becomes much easier to use after a few hours of practice.”
complex
“While the initial results seem promising, the research team remains cautious until they can replicate the findings under more controlled laboratory conditions.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “seem” in context.
Usage
A linking verb that takes an adjective or a 'to'-infinitive; it cannot be used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Pitfall
It is seeming to be rain
It seems to be raining
Seem is a stative verb and is almost never used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Confusables
Look focuses on visual evidence, while seem describes an internal impression or a general state.
RememberLook is for the eyes; seem is for the mind.
Real-World Examples
“He said: "When all doors were closing in my face and the world didn't seem a particularly friendly place, the door to the Big Issue was always open.” “We saw light scattering in a way that seemed to defy the laws of physics.” “Elon Musk said on Sunday that moves by his SpaceX company to stop the 'unauthorized' use by Russia of its internet system Starlink seemed to have worked, while Kyiv's defence chief said officials were working on ways to prevent any future use by Moscow.” “But major credit events still seem small dots on the horizon.” Etymology
From Middle English semen ("to seem, befit, be becoming"), a Norse import that displaced the native Old English term. The verb came from Old Norse sœma ("to conform to, beseem, befit"), itself descended from Proto-Germanic sōmijaną ("to unite, fit") and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sem- ("one; whole"). The semantic thread runs through fittingness and unity: what seems right is what conforms to a single, coherent standard.
The cognates map a tidy geography. Scots preserves seme ("to be fitting; beseem"); Danish has sømme ("to beseem"), with Old Swedish søma and Faroese søma ("to be proper") keeping the sense of propriety alive. The related Old Norse sómi ("honour") survives in archaic Danish somme ("decent comportment"), while sœmr ("fitting, seemly") and the Old English verbs sēman ("to reconcile, bring an agreement") and sōm ("agreement") show the family preoccupied with harmony and fitting conduct across Germanic territory.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/seem
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0