seem
linking verb
siːm 
siːm 
1 seem (to somebody) (to be) something (not used in the progressive tenses) to give the impression of being or doing somethingSynonym
appear+ adjective You seem happy.Do whatever seems best to you.+ noun He seems a nice man.seem like something It seemed like a good idea at the time.seem (as though…) It always seemed as though they would get married.‘He'll be there, then?’ ‘So it seems (= people say so).’it seems that… It seems that they know what they're doing.seem to do/be/have something They seem to know what they're doing.People aren't always what they seem to be.2 seem to do/be/have something used to make what you say about your thoughts, feelings or actions less strongI seem to have left my book at home.I can't seem to (= I've tried, but I can't) get started today.3 it seems| it would seem used to suggest that something is true when you are not certain or when you want to be politeseem (that)… It would seem that we all agree.+ adjective It seems only reasonable to ask students to buy a dictionary.
Usage note: impersonalGiving opinions using impersonal languageIt is vital that more is done to prevent the illegal trade in wild animals. ◇ (Compare: We have to do more to stop people trading wild animals illegally.)It is clear that more needs to be done to protect biodiversity. ◇ (Compare: We clearly need to do more to protect biodiversity.)It is unfortunate that the practice of keeping monkeys as pets still continues. ◇ (Compare: It's absolutely terrible that people still keep monkeys as pets.)It is difficult for many people to understand the reasons why certain individuals choose to hunt animals for sport. ◇ (Compare: I can't understand why anyone would want to kill animals for fun.)Unfortunately, it would seem that not enough is being done to support tiger conservation. ◇ (Compare: Governments aren't doing enough to help tiger conservation.)There is no doubt that the greatest threat to polar bears comes from global warming. ◇ (Compare: I believe that the greatest threat…) Language Banks at opinion, perhaps, vitalUsage note: opinionGiving your personal opinionIn my opinion, everyone should have some understanding of science.Everyone should, in my opinion, have some understanding of science.It seems to me that many people in this country have a poor understanding of science.This is, in my view, the result of a failure of the scientific community to get its message across.Another reason why so many people have such a poor understanding of science is, I believe, the lack of adequate funding for science in schools.Smith argues that science is separate from culture. My own view is that science belongs with literature, art, philosophy and religion as an integral part of our culture.In this writer's opinion, the more the public know about science, the less they will fear and distrust it. Synonyms at think Language Banks at according to, argue, impersonal, nevertheless, perhapsUsage note: perhapsMaking an opinion sound less definiteMost cybercrime involves traditional crimes, such as theft and fraud, being committed in new ways. Phishing is perhaps/possibly/probably the best-known example of this.It seems/appears that the more personal data which organizations collect, the more opportunity there is for this data to be lost or stolen.It seems clear that introducing national ID cards would do little to prevent identity theft.It could be argued that the introduction of national ID cards might actually make identity theft easier.It is possible that/It may be that the only way to protect ourselves against DNA identity theft is to avoid the creation of national DNA databases. Language Banks at impersonal, opinion