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1

like

verb \ ˈlīk \

Definition of like

liked; liking
transitive verb
1 chiefly dialectal :to be suitable or agreeable to
  • I like onions but they don't like me
2 a :to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in :enjoy
  • likes baseball
b :to feel toward :regard
  • how would you like a change
3 :to wish to have :want
  • would like a drink
4 :to do well in
  • this plant likes dry soil
  • my car does not like cold weather
intransitive verb
1 dialect :approve
2 :to feel inclined :choose, prefer
  • leave any time you like

See like defined for English-language learners

See like defined for kids

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Examples of like in a Sentence

  1. He likes baseball, but he loves football.

  2. Do you like Mexican food?

  3. I liked the movie a lot more than I thought I would.

  4. I don't know what it is about that guy, but I just don't like him.

  5. They were political allies who truly liked each other.

  6. What is it that you like or dislike about him most?

  7. She says she likes him as a friend but she's not attracted to him.

  8. My boss was a tough guy, but I liked him for his honesty.

Origin and Etymology of like

Middle English, from Old English līcian; akin to Old English gelīc alike

like Synonyms

Synonyms
care (for), want, feel like
Related Words
adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), love, relish, revel (in), welcome; covet, crave, desire, die (for), hanker (for or after), wish (for), yearn (for)
Near Antonyms
disfavor, dislike, mislike; abhor, abominate, detest, hate, loathe; decline, refuse, reject, turn down; discard, jettison, throw away, throw out
2

like

noun

Definition of like

1 :liking, preference
2 :something that one likes

Origin and Etymology of like

see 1like
3

like

adjective

Definition of like

1 a :the same or nearly the same (as in appearance, character, or quantity)
  • suits of like design
—formerly used with as, unto, of
  • it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren
  • —Hebrews 2:17 (King James Version)
b chiefly British :closely resembling the subject or original
  • the portrait is very like
2 :likely
  • the importance of statistics as the one discipline like to give accuracy of mind
  • —H. J. Laski

See like defined for English-language learners

Examples of like in a Sentence

  1. you're not talking about like things when you compare football and golf

Origin and Etymology of like

Middle English, alteration of ilich, from Old English gelīc like, alike, from ge-, associative prefix + līc body; akin to Old High German gilīh like, alike, Lithuanian lygus like — more at co-

like Synonyms

Synonyms
akin, analogous, cognate, comparable, connate, correspondent, corresponding, ditto, alike, matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling, similar, such, suchlike
Antonyms
different, dissimilar, diverse, unakin, unlike
Related Words
commensurate, proportionate; tantamount, virtual; allied, congeneric, congenerous, congenial, connatural, kin, kindred, relatable, related; approaching, approximating, close, coextensive, coincident, conformable, conforming, consistent, consonant, duplicate, equal, equivalent, fungible, identical, indistinguishable, interchangeable, me-too, redundant, same, selfsame, substitutable, synonymous, twin; entire, homogeneous, homogenous, unchanging, uniform, unvaried, unvarying
Near Antonyms
disparate, distinct, distinguishable, nonequivalent, noninterchangeable; variable, varied, various, varying; imprecise, inaccurate, inexact; unconnected, unrelated
4

like

preposition

Definition of like

1 a :having the characteristics of :similar to
  • his house is like a barn
  • it's like when we were kids
b :typical of
  • was like him to do that
c :comparable to :approximating
  • costs something like fifty cents
2 :in the manner of :similarly to
  • acts like a fool
3 :as though there would be
  • looks like rain
4 :such as
  • a subject like physics
5 —used to form intensive or ironic phrases
  • fought like hell
  • like fun he did
  • laughed like anything

See like defined for English-language learners

Examples of like in a Sentence

  1. The house looks like a barn.

  2. It's like when we were kids.

  3. She's not at all like her sister.

  4. The baby is more like his mother than his father.

  5. “Who is he like?” “He's not like anyone I've ever met before.”

First Known Use of like

13th century

5

like

noun

Definition of like

1 a :one that is similar :counterpart, equal
  • have … never seen the like before
  • —Sir Winston Churchill
b :kind 1a —usually used with a preceding possessive
  • put him and his like to some job
  • —J. R. R. Tolkien
2 :one of many that are similar to each other —used chiefly in proverbial expressions
  • like breeds like
— and the like
:et cetera
— the likes of or less commonly the like of
1 :such people as :such things as
  • reads the likes of Austen and Browning
2 :such a one as and perhaps others similar to —usually used with disparaging overtones
  • have no use for the likes of you
3 :the kind or sort of
  • a fantastic celebration the likes of which had never been seen before
  • —Joseph Heller

First Known Use of like

13th century

6

like

adverb

Definition of like

1 archaic :equally
2 :likely, probably
  • you'll try it, some day, like enough
  • —Mark Twain
3 a :to some extent :rather, altogether
  • saunter over nonchalantly like
  • —Walter Karig
b —used interjectionally in informal speech often to emphasize a word or phrase (as in "He was, like, gorgeous") or for an apologetic, vague, or unassertive effect (as in "I need to, like, borrow some money")
4 :nearly, approximately
  • the actual interest is more like 18 percent
—used interjectionally in informal speech with expressions of measurement
  • it was, like, five feet long
  • goes there every day, like
— as like as not or like as not
:probably

See like defined for English-language learners

Examples of like in a Sentence

  1. the cat would curl up, tightly like, and just go to sleep

  2. the distance is more like 500 miles

First Known Use of like

14th century

like Synonyms

Synonyms
enough, kindly [chiefly Southern], kind of, fairly, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of
Antonyms
exactly, precisely
Related Words
acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably; little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely; half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
Near Antonyms
awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly (also exceeding), exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very; considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially
7

like

conjunction

Definition of like

1 a :as if
  • middle-aged men who looked like they might be out for their one night of the year
  • —Norman Mailer
b —used in intensive phrases
  • drove like mad
  • hurts like crazy
2 :in the same way that :as
  • they raven down scenery like children do sweetmeats
  • —John Keats
3 a :in the way or manner that
  • the violin sounds like an old masterpiece should
  • did it like you told me
b —used interjectionally in informal speech often with the verb be to introduce a quotation, paraphrase, or thought expressed by or imputed to the subject of the verb, or with it's to report a generally held opinion
  • so I'm like, "Give me a break"
  • it's like, "Who cares what he thinks?"
4 :such as
  • a bag like a doctor carries
  • when your car has trouble — like when it won't start
—used interjectionally in informal speech
  • often stays up late, until like three in the morning

See like defined for English-language learners

like vs. as

Like has been used as a conjunction in ways similar to as since the 14th century. In the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries it was used in serious literature, but not often; in the 17th and 18th centuries it grew more frequent but less literary. It became markedly more frequent in literary use again in the 19th century. By mid-century it was coming under critical fire, but not from grammarians, oddly enough, who were wrangling over whether it could be called a preposition or not. There is no doubt that, after 600 years of use, conjunctive like is firmly established. It has been used by many prestigious literary figures of the past, though perhaps not in their most elevated works; in modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly writing. While the present objection to it is perhaps more heated than rational, someone writing in a formal prose style may well prefer to use as, as if, such as, or an entirely different construction instead.


Examples of like in a Sentence

  1. it looks like it's going to rain at any moment

First Known Use of like

14th century

like Synonyms

Synonyms
as, as though, as if
8

like

auxiliary verb \ ˈlīkt \
variants: or liked

Definition of like

chiefly dialectal
:came near :was near
  • so loud I like to fell out of bed
  • —Helen Eustis

First Known Use of like

15th century

like Synonyms

Synonyms
care (for), want, feel like
Related Words
adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), love, relish, revel (in), welcome; covet, crave, desire, die (for), hanker (for or after), wish (for), yearn (for)
Near Antonyms
disfavor, dislike, mislike; abhor, abominate, detest, hate, loathe; decline, refuse, reject, turn down; discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

-like

adjective combining form

Definition of -like

:resembling or characteristic of
  • bell-like
  • ladylike

Phrases Related to LIKE

Related Phrases

LIKE Defined for English Language Learners

like

verb

Definition of like for English Language Learners

  • : to enjoy (something) : to get pleasure from (something)

  • : to regard (something) in a favorable way

  • : to feel affection for (someone) : to enjoy being with (someone)

like

adjective

Definition of like for English Language Learners

  • : having the same or similar qualities

like

preposition

Definition of like for English Language Learners

  • : similar to (something or someone)

  • : typical of (someone)

  • : comparable to or close to (something)

like

conjunction

Definition of like for English Language Learners

  • : the way it would be if

  • : the way someone would do if

  • : the same as

-like

adjective combining form

Definition of -like for English Language Learners

  • : similar to or resembling

  • : like that or those of

LIKE Defined for Kids

1

like

verb \ ˈlīk \

Definition of like for Students

liked; liking
1 :enjoy 1
  • My family likes games.
2 :to feel toward :regard
  • How do you like this snow?
3 :choose 3, prefer
  • The children did as they liked.
2

like

noun

Definition of like for Students

:liking, preference
  • His likes and dislikes are different from hers.
3

like

adjective

Definition of like for Students

:similar, alike
  • The twins are very like.
4

like

preposition

Definition of like for Students

1 :similar or similarly to
  • They act like fools.
2 :typical of
  • It is just like them to forget.
3 :likely to
  • It looks like rain.
4 :such as
  • Choose a color like red.
5 :close to
  • The temperature reached something like 100 degrees.
5

like

noun

Definition of like for Students

:3equal, counterpart
  • We never saw their like before.
6

like

conjunction

Definition of like for Students

1 :as if 1
  • It looks like it might rain.
2 :in the same way that :as
  • My sister sounds just like I do.
3 :such as
  • She often forgets like she did yesterday.

-like

adjective suffix

Definition of -like for Students

:resembling or characteristic of
  • doglike
  • a balloon-like figure

Learn More about like

  1. See words that rhyme with like Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for like Spanish Central: Translation of like Nglish: Translation of like for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of like for Arabic speakers

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Usage guide: like vs. as
Examples: like in a Sentence