bear a resemblance

phraseC1formal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To bear a resemblance is to look somewhat like somebody or something else. The nose is the grandmother's, and everyone in the room can see it.

It takes to, and it is nearly always hedged by the adjective in front: a striking one, a passing one, a faint one. Bear here means carry, the same sense as in bear a grudge, so the likeness is something you go about wearing. The phrase is a shade formal — in speech you would say looks like — and it turns up most often in the standard disclaimer at the end of a film.

Definitions of bear a resemblance

1phrasebear a resemblanceTo look somewhat like somebody or something else.C1
“The two towns bear a resemblance to each other.”

bear a resemblance is a likeness.

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bear a resemblance

phraseC1formal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To bear a resemblance is to look somewhat like somebody or something else. The nose is the grandmother's, and everyone in the room can see it.

Definitions of bear a resemblance

1phrasebear a resemblanceTo look somewhat like somebody or something else.C1
“The two towns bear a resemblance to each other.”

bear a resemblance is a likeness.

Practised in Common Word Pairs

Practise this word