seemverb [ I + adv/prep, L ]
uk/siːm/us/siːm/B1 to give the effect of being; to be judged to be:
He's 16, but he often seems (to be) younger.
The children seemed (as if/as though/like they were) tired.
I suspect his claims are not all they seem - he tends to exaggerate.
Things are seldom as/how/what they seem.
[ + to infinitive ] I seem to know more about him than anyone else.
They seem to be taking a long time to decide.
[ + (that) ] It seems (that) she can't come.
It seems to me (that) (= I think that) he isn't the right person for the job.
formal It would seem (that) no action need be taken.
There seems to have been a mistake - my name isn't on the list.
[ after so ] "There's no reply - they've all gone home." "So it seems."
"Was a decision made?" "It seems not/so."
More examples
- She seemed happy enough this morning.
- The plan seemed quite simple.
- He seemed a bit depressed about his work situation.
- She seemed a bit detached, as if her mind were on other things.
- She seemed slightly embarrassed to see us there.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Seeming and purporting to be
- apparent
- as if/though idiom
- by the look(s) of things idiom
- come
- come across
- come over
- face
- ostensible
- outward
- paper
- persona
- prima facie
- purport
- putative
- so-called
- sound
- supposed
- supposedly
- verisimilitude
- you can't judge a book by its cover idiom
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