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seem

(sēm)

intr.v. seemed, seem·ing, seems

1. To give the impression of being in a certain way; appear to be: The child seems healthy, but the doctor is concerned. The house seems to be in good condition.

2. Used to call attention to one's impression or understanding about something, especially in weakening the force of a following infinitive: I can't seem to get the story straight.

3. To appear to be probable or evident: It seems you object to the plan. It seems like rain.

[Middle English semen, from Old Norse sœma, to conform to, from sœmr, fitting; see sem-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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