appear

English

Alternative forms

• appeare (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English apperen, aperen, borrowed from Old French aparoir (French apparoir, apparaître), from Latin appāreō (“I appear”), from ad (“to”) + pāreō (“I come forth, I become visible”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-s- (“watch, see”), s-present of *peh₂- (“protect”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪɹ/, [əˈpʰɪɹ]

  • Audio (US)

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• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /əˈpiːɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Verb

appear (third-person singular simple present appears, present participle appearing, simple past and past participle appeared)

1. (intransitive) To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 1:9:

     And God […] said, Let […] the dry land appear.

   • 2012 March-April, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 146:

     There were also particles no one had predicted that just appeared. Five of them […, i]n order of increasing modernity, […] are the neutrino, the pi meson, the antiproton, the quark and the Higgs boson.

2. (intransitive) To come before the public.

   A great writer appeared at that time.

   • 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

     Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.

3. (intransitive) To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, etc.; to present oneself as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 5:10:

     We must all appear before the judgment seat.

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 12, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     One ruffian escaped because no prosecutor dared to appear.

4. (intransitive) To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 John 3:2:

     It doth not yet appear what we shall be.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Of their vain contest appeared no end.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]?  Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?

   • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:

     Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, […] .

5. (intransitive, copulative) To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.

   He appeared quite happy with the result.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 6:16:

     They disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon, born rather too early she suspected.

6. (transitive) To bring into view.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     [Angelo] is yet a devil / His filth within being cast, he would appear / A pond as deep as hell.

Usage notes

• In the senses be obvious and seem, appear is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
• Particularly in the senses be obvious, seem, and bring into view, appear is a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous inflection. See Category:English stative verbs

Synonyms

• (to become visible): emerge; see also Thesaurus:appear
• (to seem): look

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "to become visible"): disappear, vanish

Derived terms

• speak of the devil and he shall appear

 

Related terms

• appearance
• apparent
• appearer

Translations

to appear, to seem — see look

to appear — see seem

to come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible

• Arabic: ظَهَرَ (ar) (ẓahara)
• Armenian: հայտնվել (hy) (haytnvel)
• Basque: azaldu, agertu
• Belarusian: з'яўля́цца impf (zʺjaŭljácca), з'яві́цца pf (zʺjavícca)
• Bulgarian: появя́вам се impf (pojavjávam se), появя́ се pf (pojavjá se), пока́звам се (bg) impf (pokázvam se), пока́жа се (bg) pf (pokáža se)
• Catalan: aparèixer (ca), sortir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 出現／出现 (ceot¹ jin⁶)

  Mandarin: 出現／出现 (zh) (chūxiàn)

• Czech: objevovat se (cs) impf, objevit se (cs) pf
• Danish: forekomme (da), synes (da), opstå
• Dutch: verschijnen (nl)
• Esperanto: aperi
• Estonian: ilmuma
• Ewe: dze
• Finnish: ilmestyä (fi), tulla näkyviin
• French: apparaître (fr), paraître (fr)
• Galician: aparecer (gl), asomar (gl)
• Gallurese: apparí
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: erscheinen (de), auftauchen (de)
• Greek: εμφανίζομαι (el) (emfanízomai)

  Ancient Greek: ἐπιφαίνομαι (epiphaínomai)

  Ancient: φαίνομαι (phaínomai), εἴδομαι (eídomai)

• Haitian Creole: parèt
• Hebrew: הופיע (he) (hofía)
• Hungarian: feltűnik (hu), megjelenik (hu)
• Icelandic: birta (is), birtast
• Ido: aparar (io)
• Ingrian: näyttiissä
• Interlingua: apparer
• Italian: apparire (it)
• Japanese: 現れる (ja) (あらわれる, arawareru)
• Khmer: ដួច (km) (duəc), លេច (km) (lɨc)
• Korean: 나타나다 (ko) (natanada)
• Latin: videor, appareo, compareo, pareo (la), coorior, orior (la), provenio, prodeo (la), exsisto (la)
• Latvian: parādīties
• Livonian: nägțõ
• Macedonian: се појавува impf (se pojavuva), се појави pf (se pojavi)
• Maltese: deher
• Maori: whakaaranga (as in a dream), puta, tahakura (as in a dream), kautorohī (unexpectedly), whetūrangi (as a star or planet above the horizon), poke (mi) (of a ghost or spirit), puta
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: шочаш (šočaš)

• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Ngazidja Comorian: hwoneha, udhwahiri
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: oppstå, dukke opp

• Old English: ætīewan
• Persian: پدیدار شدن (padidâr šodan), ظاهر شدن (fa) (zâher šodan), نمایادن (fa)
• Polish: zjawiać się (pl) impf, zjawić się (pl) pf, pojawiać się (pl) impf, pojawić się (pl) pf, ukazywać się (pl) impf, ukazać się (pl) pf
• Portuguese: aparecer (pt), surgir (pt)
• Quechua: qispiy
• Romanian: apărea (ro)
• Russian: появля́ться (ru) impf (pojavljátʹsja), появи́ться (ru) pf (pojavítʹsja)
• Sanskrit: काशते (kāśate)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: apparriri, apparessiri, cumparriri

  Logudorese: cumpàrrere, appàrrere

• Sassarese: apparí
• Scottish Gaelic: nochd
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: pojaviti se (sh) pf, ukazati se (sh) pf, doći na vidjelo pf

• Slovak: objaviť sa pf, ukázať sa pf
• Spanish: aparecer (es)
• Swedish: framträda (sv), komma i ljuset, komma i dagen (sv), dyka upp (sv)
• Thai: ปรากฏ (th) (bpraa-gòt)
• Tok Pisin: kamap
• Ukrainian: з'явля́тися (uk) impf (zʺjavljátysja), з'яви́тися pf (zʺjavýtysja), виникати impf (vynykaty), виникнути pf (vynyknuty)
• Vietnamese: xuất hiện (vi) (出現)
• Walloon: aparexhe (wa)
• Welsh: ymddangos (cy)

to come before the public

• Bulgarian: явя́вам се impf (javjávam se), явя́ се pf (javjá se)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 露面 (zh) (lòumiàn)

• Czech: objevovat se (cs) impf, objevit se (cs) pf
• Dutch: verschijnen (nl), zijn opwachting maken, haar opwachting maken, optreden (nl)
• Finnish: ilmestyä (fi)
• French: apparaître (fr)
• Galician: aparecer (gl)
• German: erscheinen (de), auftauchen (de)
• Hebrew: הופיע (he) (hofía)
• Latin: coorior, orior (la), prōveniō
• Ngazidja Comorian: upvenuha
• Portuguese: aparecer (pt), surgir (pt)
• Russian: явля́ться (ru) impf (javljátʹsja), яви́ться (ru) pf (javítʹsja), представа́ть (ru) impf (predstavátʹ), предста́ть (ru) pf (predstátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: nochd
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: nastupiti (sh) pf

• Slovak: objaviť sa pf
• Spanish: aparecer (es)
• Swedish: framträda (sv)

to stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, or the like

• Bulgarian: явя́вам се impf (javjávam se), явя́ се pf (javjá se)
• Dutch: verschijnen (nl)
• Finnish: ilmestyä (fi), näyttäytyä (fi)
• Galician: comparecer (gl), aparecer (gl) (archaic)
• German: erscheinen (de), auftreten (de)
• Latin: compāreō, coorior, orior (la), prōveniō
• Polish: stawić się impf, stanąć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: comparecer (pt)
• Russian: явля́ться (ru) impf (javljátʹsja), яви́ться (ru) pf (javítʹsja), представа́ть (ru) impf (predstavátʹ), предста́ть (ru) pf (predstátʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: istupiti (sh)
• Slovak: postaviť sa, stáť (sk), prísť
• Spanish: comparecer (es)

to become visible to the apprehension of the mind

• Czech: objevit se (cs)
• Dutch: blijken (nl)
• Finnish: ilmestyä (fi), näyttää (fi) (possibly in conditional)
• German: erscheinen (de), einleuchten (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ἐπιφαίνομαι (epiphaínomai)

• Latin: videor, pāreō (la), appāreō, adpāreō, coorior, orior (la), provenio
• Maori: whakaaranga, tahakua (to appear in a dream/as a dream), poke (mi) (as a spirit or ghost)
• Old English: ætīewan
• Persian: آشکارادن (fa)
• Portuguese: parecer (pt)
• Russian: ви́деться (ru) impf (vídetʹsja), приви́деться (ru) pf (privídetʹsja)
• Slovak: zdať sa, vyzerať
• Spanish: aparecer (es)
• Tok Pisin: kamap
• Ukrainian: ввижатися (vvyžatysja), видаватися (vydavatysja)

to seem; to have a certain semblance; to look

• Arabic: ظَهَرَ (ar) (ẓahara), بَدَا (ar) (badā) ((present tense:) يَبْدُو (yabdū))
• Catalan: semblar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 好像 (zh) (hǎoxiàng), 顯得／显得 (zh) (xiǎnde)

• Czech: vypadat (cs)
• Dutch: lijken (nl)
• Esperanto: aspekti
• Finnish: näyttää (fi), vaikuttaa (fi)
• French: sembler (fr), paraître (fr)
• German: erscheinen (de), aussehen (de)
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gaumjan)
• Greek: φαίνομαι (el) (faínomai)

  Ancient: φαίνομαι (phaínomai), εἴδομαι (eídomai), δοκέω (dokéō)

• Haitian Creole: sanble, parèt
• Hebrew: נראה (nir'á)
• Hindi: दिखना (dikhnā)
• Hungarian: látszik (hu), tűnik (hu)
• Ido: aspektar (io)
• Irish: taibhsigh
• Japanese: ...らしい (ja) (...rashii), ...そう (ja) (...-sō), ...ように見える (...yō ni mieru), 思われる (おもわれる, omowareru)
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Lao: ປະກົດ (pa kot)
• Latin: coorior, orior (la), prōveniō, simulō, similō, videor
• Maori: ngia
• Polish: zdawać się (pl)
• Portuguese: parecer (pt), aparentar (pt), semelhar
• Quechua: rikuriy
• Romanian: părea (ro), da impresia
• Russian: каза́ться (ru) impf (kazátʹsja), показа́ться (ru) pf (pokazátʹsja)
• Santali: ᱧᱮᱞ (ñel)
• Scottish Gaelic: coimhead
• Slovak: vyzerať
• Spanish: parecer (es)
• Swedish: se ut (sv)
• Urdu: دکھایا (dikhānā)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} görünmek (tr)