like
adjective
of the same form, appearance, kind, character, amount, etc..
Trivia Time
Which singer hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with two singles that both begin with the word "Like"?
like
1 American
[lahyk]
/ laɪk /
adjective
liker,
likest
-
of the same form, appearance, kind, character, amount, etc..
I cannot remember a like instance.
-
corresponding or agreeing in general or in some noticeable respect; similar; analogous.
drawing, painting, and like arts.
-
bearing resemblance.
-
Dialect. likely or probable.
'Tis like that he's gone mad.
-
Dialect. about; almost ready, as to perform some action.
The poor chap seemed like to run away.
preposition
-
in like manner with; similarly to; in the manner characteristic of.
He works like a beaver.
-
resembling (someone or something).
He is just like his father. Your necklace is just like mine.
-
characteristic of.
It would be like him to forget our appointment.
-
as if there is promise of; indicative of.
It looks like rain.
-
as if someone or something gives promise of being.
She looks like a good prospect for the job.
-
disposed or inclined to (usually preceded byfeel ).
to feel like going to bed.
-
similar or comparable to.
There is nothing like a cold drink of water when one is thirsty. What was he like?
-
(used correlatively to indicate similarity through relationship).
like father, like son.
-
(used to establish an intensifying, often facetious, comparison): They ran like hell down the street.
Last night I slept like a log.
They ran like hell down the street.
-
as; such as.
There are numerous hobbies you might enjoy, like photography or painting.
adverb
-
nearly; closely; approximately.
The house is more like 40 than 20 years old.
-
Informal. likely or probably.
Like enough he'll come with us. Like as not her leg is broken.
-
Nonstandard.
-
as it were; in a way; somehow.
I did it like wrong.
-
to a degree; more or less.
The guy was standing against the wall, looking very tough like.
-
conjunction
-
in the same way as; just as; as.
It happened like you might expect it would.
-
as if.
He acted like he was afraid. The car runs like new.
noun
-
a similar or comparable person or thing, or like persons or things; counterpart, match, or equal (usually preceded by a possessive adjective orthe ).
No one has seen his like in a long time. Like attracts like.
-
kind; sort; type; ilk (usually preceded by a possessive adjective).
I despise moochers and their like.
-
the like, something of a similar nature.
They grow oranges, lemons, and the like.
interjection
idioms
-
like to, was on the verge of or came close to (doing something): Also liked to.
The poor kid like to froze.
-
be like, to say, declare, think, or feel (usually used to introduce reported speech or thought).
She's like, “I don't believe it,” and I'm like, “No, it's true!”
-
like anything, very much; extremely; with great intensity.
He wanted like anything to win.
-
the like / likes of, someone or something similar to; the equal of.
I've never seen the like of it anywhere.
-
something like, something approaching or approximating.
It looked something like this.
like
2
American
[lahyk]
/ laɪk /
verb (used with object)
-
likes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
liked,
past participle, past
-
liking
present participle
-
to take pleasure in; find agreeable or congenial.
We all liked the concert.
-
to regard with favor; have a kindly or friendly feeling for (a person, group, etc.); find attractive.
His parents like me and I like them.
-
to wish or prefer: I like my coffee with milk and sugar.
I'd like a piece of cake, please.
I like my coffee with milk and sugar.
-
Digital Technology. to indicate one’s enjoyment of, agreement with, or interest in (website content, especially in social media).
Share your posts so your friends can like them or leave a comment.
Like us on Facebook to get a free sample.
verb (used without object)
-
likes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
liked,
past participle, past
-
liking
present participle
noun
-
Usually likes the things a person likes.
a long list of likes and dislikes.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter)
-
an instance of indicating one’s liking of specific website content.
I see my comment got lots of likes.
-
a feature or option, usually a button, that enables this.
I installed a Like on my blog so you can subscribe to updates.
-
adjective
idioms
-like
3
American
like
1
British
/ laɪk /
adjective
preposition
-
similar to; similarly to; in the manner of
acting like a maniac
he's so like his father
-
used correlatively to express similarity in certain proverbs
like mother, like daughter
-
such as
there are lots of ways you might amuse yourself — like taking a long walk, for instance
adverb
-
a dialect word for likely
-
not_standard as it were: often used as a parenthetic filler
there was this policeman just staring at us, like
-
informal used to introduce direct speech or nonverbal communication
I was like, ‘You're kidding!’
conjunction
-
not_standard as though; as if
you look like you've just seen a ghost
-
in the same way as; in the same way that
she doesn't dance like you do
noun
-
the equal or counterpart of a person or thing, esp one respected or prized
compare like with like
her like will never be seen again
-
similar things
dogs, foxes, and the like
-
people or things similar to (someone or something specified)
we don't want the likes of you around here
like
2
British
/ laɪk /
verb
-
(tr) to find (something) enjoyable or agreeable or find it enjoyable or agreeable (to do something)
he likes boxing
he likes to hear music
-
(tr) to be fond of
-
(tr) to prefer or wish (to do something)
we would like you to go
-
(tr) to feel towards; consider; regard
how did she like it?
-
(intr) to feel disposed or inclined; choose; wish
-
archaic (tr) to please; agree with
it likes me not to go
noun
-like
3
British
suffix
-
resembling or similar to
lifelike
springlike
-
having the characteristics of
childlike
ladylike
like
More Idioms
Usage
Like1 as a conjunction meaning “as, in the same way as” ( Many shoppers study the food ads like brokers study market reports ) or “as if ” ( It looks like it will rain ) has been used for nearly 500 years and by many distinguished literary and intellectual figures. Since the mid-19th century there have been objections, often vehement, to these uses. Nevertheless, such uses are almost universal today in all but the most formal speech and writing. In extremely careful speech and in much formal writing, as, as if, and as though are more commonly used than like : The commanding general accepted full responsibility for the incident, as any professional soldier would. Many of the Greenwich Village bohemians lived as if (or as though ) there were no tomorrow. The strong strictures against the use of like as a conjunction have resulted in the occasional hypercorrect use of as as a preposition where like is idiomatic: She looks as a sympathetic person. Like meaning “as if ” is also standard in informal speech and writing with a small number of adjectives: The crew worked like crazy (or like mad ) to finish the job on time. See also as.
The use of like to mean such as was formerly thought to be undesirable in formal writing, but has now become acceptable. It was also thought that as rather than like should be used to mean in the same way that , but now both as and like are acceptable: they hunt and catch fish as/like their ancestors used to. The use of look like and seem like before a clause, although very common, is thought by many people to be incorrect or non-standard: it looks as though he won't come (not it looks like he won't come )
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
likesimple
-
likessimple
-
have likedperfect
-
has likedperfect
-
am likingprogressive
-
are likingprogressive
-
is likingprogressive
-
have been likingperfect progressive
-
has been likingperfect progressive
Past
-
likedsimple
-
had likedperfect
-
was likingprogressive
-
were likingprogressive
-
had been likingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of like1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English lic, lik, from Old Norse līkr; replacing Old English gelīc, cognate with Dutch gelijk, German gleich, Old Norse glīkr, Gothic galeiks “like,” literally, “of the same body or form”; see y-, lich
Origin of like2
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb liken, Old English līcian; cognate with Dutch lijken, Old Norse līka; from the same Germanic root as like 1
Explanation
If you like your new shoes, you are glad you bought them. If you are like your mother, you are similar to her in more ways than you probably want to admit. The meaning of like has to do with being similar: maybe you sound just like your sister when you answer the phone. Or, in giving an example, like is the go-to word to introduce it: "We enjoy sports like hockey." Like also can mean "enjoy" or "favor." We can see this in the word's origin, the Old English lician, meaning “be pleasing.” The speech pattern of saying "like" incessantly doesn't, like, mean anything.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"When you behave like the boss, people respect you," he said at a recent event for English speakers in Tel Aviv, considered Israel's secular, liberal heartland.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
It feels like a “takeover by the Chinese of a different country,” said Rick Rappaport, a retiree from Arizona at the breakfast buffet of his hotel in Kashgar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
She does a couple of sponsored posts a month, prioritising local brands and charities like Age UK who paid her several thousand for a recent campaign.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
We in the media love people like Burry and Ives; they won big pots at this game, and we remember.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
It creates deformities on the skin, which are often prevalent on any exposed area of the body, like the face.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Some agencies -like the California Highway Patrol - have complied with the bill.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 13, 2019
Searches for Ms. Yue’s name were blocked on the Twitter -like Weibo microblogging platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2018
"There’s no road to where I was collecting. You had to take a plane and land on a grass strip on a mountain. It’s very Jurassic Park -like."
From Washington Post ● Jul. 27, 2016
It is likely, though, that both quangos reporting on transport in the North will concentrate their efforts of solutions which bring quick improvement for travellers -like electrifying the Leeds-Manchester route and putting on extra carriages.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2016
The cub gave a low, warning ‘Uff!’ -like his mother used to when she wanted them back in the Den now.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Hayes explained that this type of segmentation could be used to develop tailored products that account for the specific "sour liker" taste profile.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024
Mary Jo is a decisive and unafraid liker of what she likes, and disliker of what she does not.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 28, 2022
But I was a very active liker of “A Ghost Story,” which, as with “The Green Knight,” seems to unfold in some eerie netherworld between life and death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
He’s not doing anything inappropriate or otherwise creepy, and he’s not sending you inappropriate messages—he’s just an inveterate liker.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2016
The words of my own prayer—I were liker a man if I struck this creature down—shot at the same time into my memory.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. XII (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Mercy, Shakespeare wrote, "Earthly power doth then show likest God's/ When mercy seasons justice."
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2012
If thou likest him more than me, I'll travel away from thee, I'll travel away from thee.
From Black Forest Village Stories by Berthold Auerbach
If thou likest to bring thy wife to Tarnghyll, where we are sheltering for the present, she and the little ones will be much safer, and thy wife Eadburgh will be useful to Lady Ethel.
From The Last of the Vikings by John Bowling
But to begin with—how likest thou that and that?”
From Forging the Blades A Tale of the Zulu Rebellion by Bertram Mitford
Dwell in some idle brain, 5 And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess, As thick and numberless As the gay motes that people the sun-beams, Or likest hovering dreams, The fickle pensioners of Morpheus’ train.
From Minor Poems by Milton by John Milton
One thing that stood out was that Kessler said he likes to play board games, particularly Catan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
He likes to test AI agents by re-creating the games he designed as a teenager and vibecoding new ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The Grammy-nominated artist, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Zara Larsson and Madonna, was due to start a run of shows for his latest album Bulldozer!! next month.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Three months ago, Ben Gvir was still the politician with the most amount of views on TikToks, the most amount of likes on TikTok, and Instagram as well," he explained.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
He’s a tall, imposing teacher, but everybody likes him.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
“The positive after-market reaction suggests the market liked the combination of strong growth and aggressive AI investment,” Jake Behan, head of capital markets at Direxion, wrote in a note.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
My father stood in the White House to accept the Congressional Gold Medal from Ronald Reagan, a president he liked and respected, in April 1985.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
I also sort of liked the kind of mumbling charisma that he had for a while, because he seemed like very much a regular guy.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
I’ve just always liked a mustache, it helps me lean into law enforcement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
“It was a bit on the long side, but I liked the costumes. The budget must’ve been huge.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
These little things also have cute avatars, which you can customize to your liking.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Klopp has never built his success merely on star names - he has always taken a liking to undervalued and overlooked players.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
With nearly every surface painted to her liking, Jordan pictures herself staying in the apartment for a while.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Social media allowed them to be endlessly self-obsessed, without ever coming around to liking what they see.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The rain was hammering down, almost deafening, and I found myself liking it.
From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
