{
    "term": "seem",
    "partOfSpeech": "linking verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "seem",
            "heSheIt": "seems"
        },
        "pastSimple": "seemed",
        "pastParticiple": "seemed",
        "ingForm": "seeming"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to give the impression of being or doing something",
            "sensetop": "+ adj.+ nounseem to be somethingseem like somethingseem as though…it seems to somebody (that)…it seems that…seem to do/have something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You seem happy.",
                    "contextForm": "+ adj."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do whatever seems best to you."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This may **seem obvious** to you."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It **seems clear** that there has been a mistake."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It **seems likely** that they will lose the election."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Strange as it may seem**, exactly the same thing happened to me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He seems a nice man.",
                    "contextForm": "+ noun"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She seems to be a smart woman.",
                    "contextForm": "seem to be something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "You seem to be nervous."
                },
                {
                    "text": "People aren’t always what they seem to be."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seemed like a good idea at the time.",
                    "contextForm": "seem like something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It always seemed as though they would get married.",
                    "contextForm": "seem as though…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘He'll be there, then?’ ‘**So it seems** *(= people say so)*.’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**It seems to me** that teachers have to work pretty hard.",
                    "contextForm": "it seems to somebody (that)…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It must have seemed to him that he was safe."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seems that they know what they're doing.",
                    "contextForm": "it seems that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They seem to know what they're doing.",
                    "contextForm": "seem to do/have something"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "appear"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "used to make what you say about your thoughts, feelings or actions less strong",
            "sensetop": "seem to do/be/have something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I seem to have left my book at home."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I can't seem to *(= I've tried, but I can't)* get started today."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "used to suggest that something is true when you are not certain or when you want to be polite",
            "sensetop": "it seemsit would seemseem (that)…+ adj.",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It would seem that we all agree.",
                    "contextForm": "seem (that)…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This last point, **it seems to me**, is particularly important."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seems only reasonable to ask students to buy a dictionary.",
                    "contextForm": "+ adj."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːm/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seem__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːmz/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seems__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːmd/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seemed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːmɪŋ/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seeming__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːm/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seem__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːmz/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seems__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːmd/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seemed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːmɪŋ/",
                "audio": "se/seem/seeming__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (also in the sense ‘suit, befit, be appropriate’): from Old Norse sœma ‘to honour’, from sœmr ‘fitting’."
}