semblance

An appearance of a quality or situation, even when it is absent or barely exists.

• She kept a semblance of calm.
• The guards restored some semblance of order.
• His friendly smile gave the meeting a semblance of warmth.

How to use it: a semblance of something (We tried to maintain a semblance of normality.)

Similar words: appearance, show

Common phrases: a semblance of order, maintain a semblance, restore some semblance

The visible shape or appearance of someone or something.

• Its semblance changed in the light.
• The creature had a strange, almost human semblance.
• She studied the statue’s outward semblance.

Similar words: appearance, form

Common phrases: outward semblance, human semblance

An appearance that looks like someone or something else.

• The carving bore a semblance of her face.
• They built a rough semblance of the original house.
• The clouds took on the semblance of distant mountains.

How to use it: a semblance of someone/something (The mask bore a semblance of his face.)

Similar words: likeness, resemblance

Common phrases: a semblance of someone, bear some semblance

A figure or image that seems to appear before your eyes, especially something unreal.

• A pale semblance appeared before him.
• She saw the semblance of her father in a dream.
• The ghostly semblance faded into the mist.

How to use it: the semblance of someone/something (The semblance of a woman appeared in the doorway.)

Similar words: apparition, vision, phantom

Common phrases: a ghostly semblance, the semblance of someone