There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.
Source: tatoeba (1856)
Appear
/əˈpɪə/
Synonyms for "appear" (294 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (59)
Strong matches (88)
Verb(22 words)
Noun(23 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (147)
makemanifestmanifest itselfmaterializemeet the gazemimeoccuropen upoutoutcroppantomimepatterpeep outpeerperformplayplay the leadplayactpop uppresent itself
Show 47 more words
rear its headregisterreportrisesceneseesee the lightseemseem likeseem to beshine outshine throughshowshow its colorsshow its faceshow throughshow upsit insketchsoundsound likespeak outspeak upspringspring upstand forthstand outstand revealedstarsteal the showstoogestreamstream forthstrike the eyesurfacetake a standtake intranspiretread the boardstroupeturnturn upupstagevisevisitwatchwitness
Noun(39 words)
Verb(32 words)
Adjective(8 words)
model organism listsnatural lookpresent tensesseeming correlationseeming effectseeming robustnessunforced bloomvisaged
Determiner(1 words)
most surfacing
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: look, materialize, seem, act, act as foil.
- Sentence evidence is available for appear, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "appear".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "appear"
Keep "appear" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "appear" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "appear", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "appear" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
19 entriesShowing 16 of 19 words.
More specific
8 entriesCollocations
6 entriesappear for the examappear in courtappear in the dataappear on screenappear suddenlyappear to be
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesSample sentences
24 total sentences available.
The king will appear in person tomorrow evening.
Source: tatoeba (25606)
I waited for an hour, but he didn't appear.
Source: tatoeba (27744)
Women who, at first glance, appear to be completely ordinary also don't seem to be in that much of a rush to get married.
Source: tatoeba (27823)
Showing 4 of 24 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "appear"?
Closest matches include look, materialize, seem, act, act as foil.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "appear"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.