seem

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

   They seem to be sleeping.

2. 2
   verb

   appearing to be true or probable

   It seems that they are very gifted.

3. 3
   verb

   appear to one's own mind or opinion

   I seem to be misunderstood by everyone

4. 4
   verb

   appear to exist

   There seems no reason to go ahead with the project now

5. 5
   verb

   To appear; to look outwardly; to be perceived as.

   She is seeming a bit down these days. Her eyes seem blue. It must have seemed to her she was safe. How'd she seem to you? He seems not to be at home. "It seems like rain". "It seems to me (to be) rather sleety."; "There seem to be a few problems."

6. 6
   verb

   To befit; to beseem.

   And all within were pathes and alleies wide, With footing worne, and leading inward farre: Faire harbour that them seemes; so in they entred arre.

Etymology

From Middle English semen (“to seem, befit, be becoming”), from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to, beseem, befit”), from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną (“to unite, fit”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). Cognate with Scots seme (“to be fitting; beseem”), Danish sømme (“to beseem”), Old Swedish søma, Faroese søma (“to be proper”). Related also to Old Norse sómi (“honour”) ( > archaic Danish somme (“decent comportment”)), Old Norse sœmr (“fitting, seemly”), Old English sēman (“to reconcile, bring an agreement”), Old English sōm (“agreement”).