different between appear vs houdini

English

Etymology

From Middle English apperen, aperen, borrowed from Old French aparoir (French apparoir, apparaître), from Latin app?re? (“I appear”), from ad (“to”) + p?re? (“I come forth, I become visible”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??pi?/, [??p?i?]
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /??pi??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

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.

   • And God […] said, Let […] the dry land appear.
2. (intransitive) To come before the public.
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.

   • We must all appear before the judgment seat.
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.

   • It doth not yet appear what we shall be.
5. (intransitive, copulative) To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.

   • They disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.
6. (transitive) To bring into view.

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

Usage notes

• Senses 4, 5. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
• Particularly senses 4,5, and 6, this is a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous inflection. See Category:English stative verbs

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• (to become visible): disappear, vanish

Related terms

• appearance
• apparent

Translations