seemseem /siːm/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [linking verb] 
Ann didn’t seem very pleased.seem adj+noun It seems a foolish decision now.seem like The last few days had seemed like a dream. Teri seemed like a nice girl. We waited for what seemed like hours.it seems like/as if/as though It seems like you’re catching a cold, Taylor. It seemed as if the end of the world had come.it seems (that) It seemed that Freeman had killed the man, and dumped the body in the lake. It seems likely that he will miss the team’s next game.seem to do something The rainbow seemed to end on the hillside.seem to somebody Doesn’t that seem weird to you?it seems to somebody (that) (=used when giving your opinion about something) It seems to me you don’t have much choice.there seem(s) to be something (=used when saying what you think has happened or is true) There seem to be a lot of people outside.so it seems (=it seems to be true) ‘So Bill’s leaving her?’ ‘So it seems.’RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use appear rather than seem, because it is more formal:· It appears that the man had been murdered.2can’t/couldn’t seem to do something used to say that you have tried to do something but cannot do it: I just can’t seem to relax.3used to make what you are saying less strong or certain, and more politeseem to do something I seem to have lost my car keys.it seems (that)/it would seem (that) It would seem that someone left the building unlocked.GRAMMARLinking verbsSeem is a linking verb. This type of verb links the subject of the sentence with an adjective or noun: · She seemed satisfied with his explanation.· Their meeting seems a coincidence.Using the progressiveSeem is not used in the progressive. You say: · She seems very happy. ✗Don’t say: She is seeming happy.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSTHESAURUSappear a more formal word for ‘seem’: · These reports appear to be unfounded.look to seem to be something, often because of what can be seen: · The future looks bleak.· He looked pleased.sound used to say that something or someone seems to be something because of what you have heard or read about them, or because of the noise or voice that you hear: · This study sounds very ambitious.· They heard what sounded like a blow.come across as something to seem to have particular qualities: · He comes across as a very sensitive man.
WORD ORIGINseem
Origin:
1100-1200 Old Norse sma ‘to be appropriate to’, from smr ‘appropriate’VERB TABLE
seem
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | seem |
| he, she, it | seems | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | seemed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have seemed |
| he, she, it | has seemed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had seemed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will seem |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have seemed |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Why did you move to New York?" "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
- It seemed to Jim that Amy was worried about something.
- It seems likely that they will release the hostages soon.
- It seems that someone forgot to lock the door.
- Katie seems happy at her new school.
- Kevin seems like a nice guy.
- Lack of money seems to be the main problem.
- Ricky graduated, but didn't seem to know what to do with his life. He was drifting.
- The whole situation seems very strange to me.
- There seems to be something wrong with the TV.
- There were so many delays - it seemed as if we would never get home.
- You seem kind of nervous.
- He seems to have no particular craving for society.
- Mr Assad once seemed to support perhaps the easiest solution: his son.
- The circle seems unbroken, and now, in this new millennium, Showcase promises to be even more successful.
- The voting seems in fact to have been orderly, though claims made about the plan were plainly false.
- They kept ordering more brandy and all seemed genuinely upset.
THESAURUS
a more formal word for ‘seem’: · These reports appear to be unfounded.
to seem to be something, often because of what can be seen: · The future looks bleak.· He looked pleased.
used to say that something or someone seems to be something because of what you have heard or read about them, or because of the noise or voice that you hear: · This study sounds very ambitious.· They heard what sounded like a blow.
to seem to have particular qualities: · He comes across as a very sensitive man.
Longman Language Activatorto seem if someone or something seems happy, dishonest, true etc, that is what you think they are, even though you are not completely certain: seem nice/happy/strange etc (to somebody): · Katie seems happy at her new school.· The whole situation seems very strange to me.seem to be/do something: · Lack of money seems to be the main problem.· Ricky graduated, but didn't seem to know what to do with his life. He was drifting.it seems (that)/it seems to somebody (that) (=use this to say what you think about a situation): · It seems that someone forgot to lock the door.· It seemed to Jim that Amy was worried about something.seem like especially spoken (=seem to be): · Kevin seems like a nice guy.· "Why did you move to New York?" "It seemed like a good idea at the time."there seems to be: · There seems to be something wrong with the TV.it seems as if: · There were so many delays - it seemed as if we would never get home.it seems likely/possible/probable (that): · It seems likely that they will release the hostages soon.
formal to seem: appear to be/do something: · My father appeared to be in good health.· The archaeologists uncovered both domestic structures and what appear to have been commercial buildings.appear calm/rude/angry etc: · It's difficult to ask someone their age without appearing rude.· The city appeared calm after the previous night's fighting.it appears (that): · Police said it appeared that John Seidler's death was an accident, but an investigation continues.
if someone or something looks good, bad, tired etc, that is how they seem to you when you look at them: · That book looks interesting.· Warren looked tired after his long drive.· We had run out of money, and the situation looked pretty hopeless.look like something: · She's really pretty - she looks like a model.· The burglar was holding what looked like a shotgun.look as if: · You look as if you haven't slept all night.it looks as if (=use this to say how a situation seems to you): · It looks as if we are going to need more help.
if someone or something sounds good, bad, strange, angry etc, that is how they seem to you when you hear about them, read about them, or hear them: · Istanbul sounds really exciting.· He sounds a pretty strange person.· I called my dad and told him what has happened. He sounded really angry. sound like: · "We're all going clubbing tomorrow night." "That sounds like fun." it sounds (to me) as if (=use this to say how a situation seems to you when you hear about it): · It sounds to me as if he needs to see a doctor.
to seem to have particular qualities or characteristics, especially because of the way you talk to or behave towards other people: · In the book, Strayhorn comes across as a sympathetic human being, while Stan Getz emerges as a volatile character with a violent temper.come across as being something: · He often comes across as being rather cold and arrogant.come across well/badly: · She doesn't come across well in interviews, but she's very good at her job.
if someone or something gives the impression that something about them is true, they make other people think it is true, especially when it is not: give the impression (that): · Paul liked to give everyone the impression that he knew a lot about cars.· We always leave the lights on when we go out at night, to give the impression there's someone in the house.give the impression of: · Mirrors are used in the dining room in order to give the impression of space.
if a person or situation strikes you as strange, interesting, unusual etc, this is your opinion of how they seem: · What strikes me as odd is the fact that she didn't report the burglary to the police.· She didn't strike me as the type who would want to become a teacher.strike somebody as being/having something: · He never struck me as being very interested in politics.
if someone or something shows signs of age, improvement, tiredness etc, some features of their appearance or behaviour make them seem old, better, tired etc: · The economy is showing no signs of any improvement.· Doctors at the hospital say Mr Crowther is beginning to show signs of recovery, although he is still in intensive care.show signs of doing something: · If the soil shows signs of drying out, water it sparingly.
if a thing or event has all the hallmarks of something, it has all the typical features of someone's work or actions, and therefore seems to have been done or made by them: · The explosion has all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.· The painting isn't signed by Matisse, but it has all the hallmarks of one of his later works.
to seem to involve or be caused by a particular attitude, feeling, or intention, especially a bad one: · The government's new asylum bill seems inhumane, and smacks of racism.· The chairman's decision is disturbing, and smacks of dishonesty.
ways of saying what seems to be happening, if a person, place, or situation is pleasant, normal, calm etc on the surface , they seem that way until you know them better: · On the surface, life seemed normal in Beirut at that time.· Mike was very pleasant on the surface, but he had a nasty temper.
if someone is outwardly calm, happy etc, that is how they seem to be, but in fact they are probably nervous, unhappy etc: · Outwardly she seemed contented and happy with life.outwardly calm/unconcerned etc: · Henry remained calm and outwardly unaffected by the terrible events of the previous day.
use this when something seems to be true about someone or something especially when it is not true: · To all appearances, they were a happily married couple.
use this to say that something seems true, you mean that it seems true, but you are not at all certain that it actually is, because you do not know all the facts: · On the face of it, this seems like a perfectly good idea -- we must wait and see if it turns out well.· On the face of it, he appeared to be an ideal candidate for the position.
: seemingly impossible/endless/unimportant etc seeming to be impossible, endless, unimportant etc, especially when this is not actually true: · Running a mile in under 4 minutes was a seemingly impossible task.· I looked down at the seemingly endless expanse of green of the Serengeti Plain.· The music was strange, seemingly without a melody.
apparent abilities, feelings, or attitudes seem to be real, but you cannot be sure if they are: · She was upset by her father-in-law's apparent dislike of her.· What shocked me was the parents' apparent lack of interest in their child.
formal seeming to be true about someone's feelings, attitudes, or abilities: · I wondered about Richard's seeming reluctance to talk about his family.· The professor became frustrated by his students' seeming inability to understand simple questions.
feelings, attitudes, or qualities that are superficial are not real or true, even though someone or something seems to have them: · The people are friendly, but only in a superficial way.· The landscape bore a superficial resemblance to England's green and pleasant land, and each house had a small suburban garden.
when you think that something will happen or is true because of the way something seems · Judging by Michael's expression I'd say he wasn't in a very good mood today.· She looks like a student, judging from the number of books she's carrying under her arm.· Going by the quality of the runners, I think this week's 800 metres final could produce a new Olympic record.
use this to say that something seems to be true because of the way someone or something looks or the way they do something: · It was clear from the way Dorothy spoke that she was worried about something.· From the way the body was lying, I'd say it was suicide.
use this when you want to say that someone is making a situation seem much more serious or important than it really is: · He's only cut his finger but you'd think he was bleeding to death, the amount of noise he's making.· Mary's spent at least three days cleaning up and preparing the meal -- anyone would think she was expecting royalty!
: from somebody's face/voice/clothes etc use this to say that because of the way someone's face etc looks or sounds, something seems to be true: · From his voice I'd say he was born somewhere in the North of England.· She looked from her clothes like some kind of high-powered executive.
when something or someone is different from the way they seem use this to say that someone or something is more interesting, important, intelligent etc than they seem to be: · "I didn't know he wrote poetry." "Yes -- he also does painting. There's more to him than meets the eye."· People think of Bradford as a dull industrial city, but there is more to it than meets the eye.· It looks like a simple case of burglary, but there may be more to it than meets the eye.
seeming to be good, friendly, safe etc, but in fact being very different: · The sea here is very deceptive -- it looks calm but is in fact very dangerous.· Federal organizations have been monitoring the Internet for deceptive advertisements, consumer fraud, and other unlawful activities. appearances can be deceptive (=what seems to be true may not be true): · I know appearances can be deceptive, but Jeffrey didn't seem like a wife-beater.
: deceptively simple/easy etc seeming simple, easy etc, but actually very difficult: · The first question seemed deceptively simple.· The cycling route looks deceptively easy, especially when seen from a car.
use this to say that someone is not what they seem to be, especially because they are deliberately trying to trick you: · There's something odd about him -- I don't think he's what he seems. He might be a cop.· I've been doing a little research - our Mr Malamute is not what he seems.
the way something seems if someone or something has the appearance of being a particular kind of person or thing, they seem to be like that, but in fact they may not be: give the appearance of (=seem like): · Karen gives the appearance of being confident, but she isn't really.· The wall was painted with little squares to give the appearance of mosaic.appearances can be deceptive (=what seems to be true may not be true): · This mushroom looks harmless enough, but appearances can be deceptive and it is in fact very poisonous.
your impression of someone or something is the way they seem to you: impression of: · What's your impression of Frank as a boss?get the impression (that) (=think something is a fact because it seems true): · We got the impression that Sally wasn't very pleased to see us.· For some reason she got the impression that you didn't like her.give the impression (that) (=make people believe something, by making it seem to be true): · In her book, she gives the impression that she was a close friend of the Prince, but in fact she only met him twice.a good/a bad/the wrong impression: · In an interview don't say anything negative about your current employer - it gives a bad impression.· If she joked with him, he would think she was flirting, and she didn't want him to get the wrong impression. first impression (=how someone or something seems to you the first time you see them): · My first impression of England was of a grey and rainy place.
: semblance of truth/normality/stability etc when something seems to be true, normal etc - use this especially in negative sentences when something seems only very slightly true, normal etc, or to say that it does not seem this at all: · Any semblance of democracy quickly disappeared when the military government announced it was taking over.· A novel needs to have some semblance of truth, or the reader will quickly lose interest in it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY We waited for what seemed like hours. It seems reasonable to assume that the book was written around 70 AD. It didn’t seem worth bothering the doctor about. Here she waited for what seemed like an eternity. In theory, the scheme sounds fine. The garden looked like a jungle. At last he felt like a real soldier. Strange as it may seem, I actually prefer cold weather.
We waited for what seemed like hours. (=it seems to be true) ‘So Bill’s leaving her?’ ‘So it seems.’
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES ‘So Bill’s leaving her?’ ‘So it seems.’ It seems reasonable to assume that the book was written around 70 AD. It didn’t seem worth bothering the doctor about.· It seemed certain that the other team would win.
· For a while the whole project looked certain to fail.
· The constituency seems happy with its MP.
· The constituency seem happy with their MP.
(=seem unreal)· That summer was so wonderful it seemed like a dream.
· The judge seemed embarrassed to be asking her such personal questions.
· I wanted to go, but Helen seemed less enthusiastic.
Here she waited for what seemed like an eternity. In theory, the scheme sounds fine.· It seemed impossible that he would ever recover from the injury.
The garden looked like a jungle. At last he felt like a real soldier.· Which candidate seems likely to win?
· She seemed nervous at first, but her presentation was good.
· It seems obvious to me that he is guilty.
· He glanced at his mother, who looked shocked.
Strange as it may seem, I actually prefer cold weather.· John seemed totally unaware of the effect he was having on my daughters.
· Did Bill seem unhappy to you?
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· It seemed almost to speak to her.· At that point, even a 3, 000-mile plane ride home into relentless headwinds almost seemed preferable to Vancouver.· Black rain clouds were riding up from the south, killing the light and making the day seem almost over.· The severity of his inwardness almost seemed to demand it.· It seemed almost impossible to many people that such tiny things as micro-organisms could have been fossilised at all.· It begins to seem almost as far as 1848.· Sometimes this seems almost to rebuke me, to be a heavy price to pay for a simple preference of male anatomy.
· In looking at childhood photographs, her sullenness, always seeming to be apart, looking rather sour, tense.· He was simply hunting, but eagles always seem an omen.· Gironella always seems acutely aware of these issues.· She seems always in the process of ignoring this system when her strange husband is around.· He is the only person I know who always seems to mean what he says when he talks about art.· And isn't that the way it always seems to be when the champion goes on the decline?· The basis of the Babylonian calendar seems always to have been lunar.· The town has always seemed 30 miles off the edge of the universe.
· It also seems likely that he-and the design team-were tempted by the clothes of the later period.· The bill was approved 64-32 by the Senate on Wednesday, and approval seems likely in the House by early March.· Interestingly enough, however, pressure for accountable government seems likely to come from another direction altogether.· Four years ago, the school had so few students that closure seemed likely.· It seems likely that two separate parties will emerge in its place.· The error involved seems likely to be small relative to other uncertain-ties noted and, if so, is not serious.· Everything is now in place for a rigged election that seems likely to usher in a military dictatorship.· So, although predicting is risky, it seems likely that the special learner population will expand and pressures thereby will accelerate.
· Born when the earth sleeps, yet Effie never seemed to rest and had soon worn out a rather fragile Marjorie.· The man seemed never to sleep.· He never seemed to have a chance.· Strangely enough, whenever I visit Motherhouse, I never seem to need it.· The education ministry's minuscule maintenance budget never seemed to find its way up to tiny Varosh.· However fast we run, we never seem to get anywhere.· The only thing that is missing is the smell of steam and hot oil and that never seems all that far away.· Thousands of people hurry past them each day and never seem to notice their beauty.
· Hanging would seem quite a lenient sentence considering the enormity of his crime in those harsh old days.· One of them, however, seems quite clear.· But today with his mind too preoccupied to work he seemed quite unable to keep his hands off it.· The abilities of the bonobos, in particular, seem quite promising.· Somehow it didn't seem quite right.· Everyone seemed quite at ease as they remained standing and casting large shadows on Lois and her group.· He cut off its head with his sword. and this would seem quite reasonable; but could I write this?· There was no mistaking the snow-covered surroundings for Casablanca, but as Azmi joined the youngsters he seemed quite at home.
· But for other experiments the interpretation seems very plausible.· The Ptolemaic system seems very artificial to us today.· All at once the hotel seemed very small - another small dark grubby place that was locking her in.· Patterns of disruption and reconstitution of kin groups do seem very different now by comparison with the past.· In the absence of new developments, old ones may seem very impressive for quite a long while.· He seems very silent and uneasy.· Antiracism seems very comfortable with this idea of blacks as victims.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► not be/feel/seem herself► not seem/be/feel yourself
1if something seems to be true, there are things that make people think it is trueseem adj- I just can't seem to come up with lyrics for this song.
- Congress has had a torrent of learned advice on this amendment, none of which it seems disposed to listen to.
- Ernest Conway had never felt disposed to adopt a conventional, benign, grandfatherly role.
- Gradually the talkative groups settled into a contented silence, but no one seemed disposed to go to sleep.
- Headteachers say governors come to school on special occasions but don't seem disposed to become involved more routinely in school affairs.
- James didn't seem disposed to take the hint.
- Seb's father was a large, comfortable-looking man who did not seem disposed to make a fuss.
- The brothers exchanged glances, neither saying a word, though they seemed disposed to.
- The very houses seemed disposed to pack up and take trips.
- He had not felt himself a part of what governments decided.
- He had not felt himself bound by their rules - basically, he hadn't felt himself.
- Certainly the lateral geniculate nucleus in rats looks nothing like the lateral geniculate nucleus in monkeys.
- It's classed as being a conifer but it looks nothing like one.
- Remember that the intermediate stored pattern may be pretty abstract, looking nothing like the input pattern.
- She insisted that I looked nothing like Majella.
- She looked nothing like her photograph.
- The problem is that in its juvenile form it looks nothing like the adult specimen.
- The zone blitz can fluster an offense because it looks nothing like a conventional blitz.
- This suspect looks nothing like Nichols, a slightly built, light-skinned man in his 40s with thinning hair.
Ann didn’t seem very pleased.seem adj+noun It seems a foolish decision now.seem like The last few days had seemed like a dream. Teri seemed like a nice girl. We waited for what seemed like hours.it seems like/as if/as though It seems like you’re catching a cold, Taylor. It seemed as if the end of the world had come.it seems (that) It seemed that Freeman had killed the man, and dumped the body in the lake. It seems likely that he will miss the team’s next game.seem to do something The rainbow seemed to end on the hillside.seem to somebody Doesn’t that seem weird to you?it seems to somebody (that) (=used when giving your opinion about something) It seems to me you don’t have much choice.there seem(s) to be something (=used when saying what you think has happened or is true) There seem to be a lot of people outside.so it seems (=it seems to be true) ‘So Bill’s leaving her?’ ‘So it seems.’RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use appear rather than seem, because it is more formal:· It appears that the man had been murdered.2can’t/couldn’t seem to do something used to say that you have tried to do something but cannot do it: I just can’t seem to relax.3used to make what you are saying less strong or certain, and more politeseem to do something I seem to have lost my car keys.it seems (that)/it would seem (that) It would seem that someone left the building unlocked.GRAMMARLinking verbsSeem is a linking verb. This type of verb links the subject of the sentence with an adjective or noun: · She seemed satisfied with his explanation.· Their meeting seems a coincidence.Using the progressiveSeem is not used in the progressive. You say: · She seems very happy. ✗Don’t say: She is seeming happy.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSTHESAURUSappear a more formal word for ‘seem’: · These reports appear to be unfounded.look to seem to be something, often because of what can be seen: · The future looks bleak.· He looked pleased.sound used to say that something or someone seems to be something because of what you have heard or read about them, or because of the noise or voice that you hear: · This study sounds very ambitious.· They heard what sounded like a blow.come across as something to seem to have particular qualities: · He comes across as a very sensitive man.