seemly

IPA/ˈsiːmli/
IPA/ˈsiːmli/

seemly — adjective

  • seemlypositive
  • seemliercomparative
  • seemliestsuperlative

1. behaving or dressing in a way that fits the accepted standards of a social occas

1.形容詞C1
釋義

behaving or dressing in a way that fits the accepted standards of a social occasion, so that people around you consider you polite and proper

例句

Mert knew that thanking the host was the only seemly way to leave a dinner party.

seemly way to [action] — describes a polite approach

The school handbook explained what kind of clothing was seemly for the graduation ceremony.

seemly + for [occasion]

同義詞
  • proper

    less formal and more widely used; covers a broader range of 'correct' behavior

  • appropriate

    focuses on suitability for a specific situation rather than social politeness

  • decorous

    more formal and literary; suggests dignified, tasteful behavior

  • becoming

    old-fashioned; often describes fitting behavior in a personal rather than institutional setting

反義詞
  • unseemly

    the direct opposite, used more often than 'seemly' itself

  • inappropriate

    general opposite, less formal and more common

文法句型

it + be + seemly + to-infinitive

seemly + noun

用法筆記

This word is formal and somewhat old-fashioned. In modern everyday conversation, 'appropriate' or 'proper' is more common. The negative form 'unseemly' appears more frequently than 'seemly' itself.

常見錯誤

❌The seemly problem was easy to fix.
✅The seeming problem was easy to fix.
💡'seemly' means socially proper, not 'apparent' or 'seeming.'
❌It was seemly to arrive on time for the meeting.' (acceptable but overly formal)
✅It was appropriate to arrive on time for the meeting.
💡'seemly' sounds stiff in routine workplace contexts; use 'appropriate' or 'proper' for everyday situations.