seems

seems is an English verb used to indicate that something appears to be true or likely based on perception or evidence, without asserting certainty. It is the present third‑person singular form of the verb seem, which belongs to the class of linking verbs that connect the subject with a description or condition. In sentences such as “It seems rainy today” or “She seems tired,” the verb links the subject to an adjective or nominal complement that conveys an impression.

In grammar, seems can function both as a copular verb and as an auxiliary in constructions that express probability, e.g., “It seems that the experiment succeeded.” The verb is intransitive, typically followed by a predicative adjective, a noun phrase, or a that‑clause. Its past tense is seemed, and the present participle is seeming.

Etymologically, seem derives from Old English gesēon, meaning “to perceive, observe, or appear.” The form seems developed in Middle English, retaining the sense of appearance or impression. The word is widely used in both spoken and written English to express tentative judgments, making it a common element in scientific, journalistic, and everyday discourse where precise certainty is unavailable.

Related terms include appear, look, and sound, which function similarly as linking verbs that convey impression rather than factual assertion. The adverbial use of seeming, as in “seemingly,” extends the meaning to indicate something that gives the appearance of being a certain way.