seem
gb/sˈim/ us/sˈim/
A2
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
state
1
Appear to be
To look or feel like something is true, even if it may not be.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] seems [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'seem' with 'look' or 'sound'. 'Seem' is more general and can refer to any kind of impression, not just visual or auditory.
Synonyms
appear (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal in some contexts.)
Antonyms
be (Indicates actual state rather than perceived state.)
Collocations
seem happy
|seem likely
|seem strange
|seem obvious
|seem impossible
Themes
perception
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She seems tired after the long trip.
- It seems impossible to finish this today.
- He seems like a nice person.
- This plan seems risky.
- You seem very confident about your answer.
Learner examples
- He seems happy today.
- It seems easy to do.
- She seems nice.
- The test seems hard.
- This place seems quiet.
Verb
B1
state
2
Appear to do something
To look like you are doing something, even if you are not.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] seems to [verb]
Common mistake:
Some learners forget 'to' after 'seem' when followed by a verb.
Synonyms
appear to (Almost identical meaning; often interchangeable.)
Collocations
seem to know
|seem to understand
|seem to work
|seem to care
Themes
perception
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They seem to understand the problem well.
- He seems to be telling the truth.
- The engine seems to be working fine.
- You seem to know a lot about this topic.
Learner examples
- She seems to like the movie.
- They seem to work together well.
- He seems to know the answer.
- It seems to rain a lot here.
Verb
B1
state
3
Indicate possibility
To make someone think something might be true, but not for sure.
Usage pattern:
It seems (that) [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes omit 'that' when it is needed for clarity in formal writing, though in speech it is often dropped.
Synonyms
appear (Close synonym; 'appear' is sometimes slightly more formal.)
Collocations
it seems that
|it seems likely
|it seems clear
Themes
communication
|speculation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It seems that we have a misunderstanding.
- It seems likely that they will cancel the meeting.
- It seems clear that she was right.
Learner examples
- It seems that he is late.
- It seems they are happy.
- It seems she knows the answer.
Grammar
Dictionary form
seem
IPA
GB/sˈim/
US/sˈim/
Syllables & stress
seem (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (seem)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: seem
- 3rd Person Singular: seems
- Present Participle: seeming
- Past: seemed
Word family
Forms
seems
verb
seeming
verb
seemed
verb
Advanced or less common
seemingly
adverb C1
Expressions
it would seem
1/ˈɪt wˈʊd sˈim/
fixed phrase
Apparently true based on evidence
Used when you think something is true from what you know now.
Examples
- It would seem we have run out of options.
- It would seem she has made her decision.
make it seem as if
1/mˈeɪk ˈɪt sˈim ˈæz ˈɪf/
fixed phrase
Cause an impression of something untrue
To do something so people think something is true when it's not.
Examples
- He made it seem as if he had no money.
- They made it seem as if the problem was solved.
seem like
1/sˈim lˈaɪk/
fixed phrase
Appear similar to something
To look or feel like something else.
Examples
- He seems like a friendly person.
- This place seems like home already.