ˈsēm intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English semen, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sōma to beseem, befit, sœmr becoming, sœma to honor, conform, Old English sēman to reconcile, pacify, Gothic samjan to please, Old Norse samr same — more at same
1. obsolete : to be suitable : befit
2.
a.
(1) : to be in appearance : give the impression of being : look to be : appear
this officer, who seemed a resonable human being — Glenway Wescott
the project had begun to seem a waste of time — J.G.Cozzens
(2) : to pretend to be : feign
either you are ignorant, or seem so craftily — Shakespeare
b. : to appear to the observation or understanding
seemed to know all of them and to be able to call each one by name — W.A.Slade
a tiny pebble in the middle of your back seems to grow all night, and by the crack of dawn has grown to boulder size — Boy Scout Handbook
c. : to appear to one's own mind or opinion
seemed to leave the café with one or two germs of ideas — Arnold Bennett
seem to feel no pain
can't seem to solve this problem
d. : to appear according to the known facts
seems not to have studied in Europe or to have taken a doctorate — Louise Pound
seems that he began as a painter — Hollis Alpert
the merger will not take place, it seems
3. : to present all the signs of being the case : be evidently true : be obvious
seems to me that he has given up more than he has gained
would seem to be a good investment
4. : to give evidence of existing or being present
police indicated there seemed nothing in his background that could spawn the brutal attack — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News