appearance meaning

appearance means 'the way something or someone looks'.

appearance :

look, presence

noun

▪ Her appearance was neat and tidy.

▪ Her look was clean and orderly.

▪ The room's appearance changed after painting.

▪ The room's look changed after painting.

paraphrasing

▪ look – appearance

▪ presence – being there

▪ facade – outer look

▪ semblance – outward look

appearance

Pronunciation

appearance [əˈpɪərəns]

The stress is on 'pear' and sounds like 'uh-peer-uhns'.

Common phrases and grammar about appearance

appearance - Common meaning

noun
look, presence

Part of Speech Changes for "appearance"

▪ appear (verb) – to come into view

▪ apparent (adjective) – clear or obvious

Common Expressions with "appearance"

▪ make an appearance – to show up

▪ physical appearance – how someone looks

▪ change in appearance – a different look

▪ improve appearance – to make look better

Important examples of appearance in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC word questions, appearance is often used to describe looks or presence.

▪The manager commented on the staff's appearance.
▪The manager talked about how the staff looked.

Example of a confusing word: apparition (a ghostly figure)

▪The manager commented on the staff's apparition.
▪The manager talked about seeing a ghostly figure.
"Appearance" refers to the way someone or something looks, and it is correctly used in the context of discussing the staff's physical presentation or presence. "Apparition," however, means a ghostly figure or a supernatural appearance, which is entirely different in meaning and context. Using "apparition" in this sentence would be grammatically incorrect and nonsensical, as it suggests a ghostly presence rather than discussing looks. Therefore, "appearance" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Appearance is a noun often used to describe visual aspects in TOEIC grammar questions.

▪Her appearance was professional.
▪She looked professional.

appearance

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

physical appearance

'how someone looks', used when talking about looks.

▪His physical appearance was striking.
▪He looked very noticeable.

put in an appearance

means 'to show up briefly'.

▪She put in an appearance at the party.
▪She showed up briefly at the party.

Differences between similar words and appearance

appearance

,

look

differences

Appearance refers to the overall visual aspect, while look can refer to a specific style or expression.

appearance
▪The building's appearance is modern.
▪The building looks modern.
look
▪She has a tired look on her face.
▪She seems tired by her expression.

appearance

,

presence

differences

Appearance is about how something looks, while presence is about being there or existing.

appearance
▪The car's appearance is sleek.
▪He was noticed in the room.
presence
▪His presence was felt in the room.
▪He was noticed in the room.

Words with the same origin as appearance

The origin of appearance

The word 'appearance' comes from the Latin 'apparentia', meaning 'to become visible'.

Word structure

It has the prefix ap (to), root pear (to appear), and suffix ance (noun), so appearance means 'the act of appearing'.

Words with the same origin

The root of appearance is pear (to appear). Words with the same root include appear (to come into view), apparent (clear or obvious).

Please select an image in the quiz

Quiz

question

Your score is

Previous post and next post

embassy

embassy

1902
▪visit the embassy
▪contact the embassy
noun ┃
Views 0
embassy

embassy

1902
a diplomatic office, a foreign mission
▪visit the embassy – go to the diplomatic office
▪contact the embassy – reach out to the diplomatic office
noun ┃
Views 0
appearance

appearance

1903
▪make an appearance
▪physical appearance
current
post
noun ┃
Views 3
appearance

appearance

1903
look, presence
▪make an appearance – to show up
▪physical appearance – how someone looks
noun ┃
Views 3
deliberate

deliberate

1904
▪deliberate attempt
▪deliberate choice
adjective ┃
verb ┃
Views 2
deliberate

deliberate

1904
intentional, planned
▪deliberate attempt – planned try
▪deliberate choice – planned decision
adjective ┃
verb ┃
Views 2
controversy

controversy

1905
▪cause controversy
▪create controversy
noun ┃
Views 6
controversy

controversy

1905
dispute, debate
▪cause controversy – to start a debate
▪create controversy – to make a debate happen
noun ┃
Views 6
fragile

fragile

1906
▪fragile goods
▪fragile state
Adjective ┃
Views 10
fragile

fragile

1906
easily broken, delicate
▪fragile goods – items that can break easily
▪fragile state – a condition that is delicate
Adjective ┃
Views 10
Same category words
fashion, beauty

appearance

look, presence
current post
1903

unique

2085

luxury

749

appearance

1903

bald

1473
TOEIC_Vocabulary_List_PDF_PC
TOEIC_Vocabulary_List_PDF_Mobile

View All TOEIC PDFs

Visitors & Members
3+