seem

verb

seemed; seeming; seems

intransitive verb

1
: to appear to the observation or understanding
2
: to give the impression of being

Examples of seem in a Sentence

What they're doing doesn't seem right to me. I tried to cheer them up because they seemed depressed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The woman seemed to be seriously considering that advice. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025 That’s what Rebecca feels—all alone in a world that seems to care less. Joni Eareckson Tada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 The Celtics also seem to be searching for their best lineups. Jay King, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Attempting to block out everything off the court and focusing on basketball seems to be a strategy filtering down from Splitter who remained guarded in his press conference after the game when asked about Billups. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for seem

Word History

Etymology

Middle English semen to appear to be, be fitting, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sœma to honor, sœmr fitting, samr same — more at same

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seem was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

seem

verb
1
: to give the impression of being : appear
the request seems reasonable
2
a
: to appear to a person's own mind or opinion
can't seem to solve the problem
b
: to appear to be
there seems no reason for worry

More from Merriam-Webster on seem

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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