seem

seem, look, appear can mean to be as stated in one's view or judgment, but not necessarily in fact Often they are used interchangeably with apparently no difference in meaning

{

he seems tired

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{

the students look eager

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{

the orchestra appeared ready to begin

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But even in such phrases seem suggests an opinion based on subjective impressions and personal reaction rather than on objective signs

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a tiny pebble in the middle of your back seems to grow all night, and by the crack of dawn has grown to boulder size— Boy Scout Handbook

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{

my other visits to Greece were over twenty years ago. How would it seem after such a long time, and seen in such a different way— Chubb

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while look implies that the opinion is based on a general visual impression

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her . . . lips looked parched and unnatural— Glasgow

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Appear may convey the same implication as look but it sometimes suggests a distorted impression such as can be produced by an optical illusion, a restricted point of view, or another's dissembling

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his tongue . . . could make the worse appear the better reason— Milton

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{

the attempt has been made to make it appear that this conflict is not between religion and science, but between the latter and theology. This seems to me a cheap and worthless evasion— Cohen

}

Analogous words: *infer, gather, judge, deduce, conclude