appear

Meanings

1. To become visible or to come into view.
2. To seem to be a certain way.
3. To take part in a show, a film or a court.

Example sentences

• "A rainbow appeared after the rain."

  Level A2, Meaning 1

• "She appears to be tired today."

  Level B1, Meaning 2

• "The singer will appear on stage at eight."

  Level B1, Meaning 3

• "New words appear in the dictionary every year."

  Level B1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• seem : Seem says how something looks or feels. Appear can also mean to come into sight.
• emerge : Emerge means to come out from somewhere hidden. Appear is simpler and more general.

Word family and forms

Forms: appears, appeared, appearing

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "appear".

• appear to be
• appear on screen
• appear in court
• it appears that
• suddenly appear
• appear in public

Origin

Appear came into English in the 1200s from Anglo-French and Old French aperer, which took it from Latin apparere, to be seen or to come into sight. The Latin verb is built from ad, meaning to, and parere, to come forth or to be visible.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Appear has ear in it. Something that appears comes into sight, and sometimes into hearing too.

Test yourself

Learn next at A1

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