LIKE

like, similar

(adjective) resembling or similar; having the same or some of the same characteristics; often used in combination; “suits of like design”; “a limited circle of like minds”; “members of the cat family have like dispositions”; “as like as two peas in a pod”; “doglike devotion”; “a dreamlike quality”

similar, alike(p), like

(adjective) having the same or similar characteristics; “all politicians are alike”; “they looked utterly alike”; “friends are generally alike in background and taste”

like, same

(adjective) equal in amount or value; “like amounts”; “equivalent amounts”; “the same amount”; “gave one six blows and the other a like number”; “the same number”

comparable, corresponding, like

(adjective) conforming in every respect; “boxes with corresponding dimensions”; “the like period of the preceding year”

like, ilk

(noun) a kind of person; “We’ll not see his like again”; “I can’t tolerate people of his ilk”

like, the like, the likes of

(noun) a similar kind; “dogs, foxes, and the like”; “we don’t want the likes of you around here”

like

(verb) feel about or towards; consider, evaluate, or regard; “How did you like the President’s speech last night?”

like

(verb) be fond of; “I like my nephews”

like

(verb) find enjoyable or agreeable; “I like jogging”; “She likes to read Russian novels”

wish, care, like

(verb) prefer or wish to do something; “Do you care to try this dish?”; “Would you like to come along to the movies?”

like

(verb) want to have; “I’d like a beer now!”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Verb

like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle liking, simple past and past participle liked)

To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.

Antonyms: dislike, hate, mislike

(transitive, archaic) To please.

(obsolete) To derive pleasure of, by or with someone or something.

To prefer and maintain (an action) as a regular habit or activity.

(obsolete) To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition).

(archaic) To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly.

To find attractive; to prefer the company of; to have mild romantic feelings for.

Synonyms: fancy (British), enjoy, love

Antonyms: dislike, hate, mislike

(obsolete) To liken; to compare.

(Internet, transitive) To show support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet by marking it with a vote.

Antonym: unlike

(with 'would' and in certain other phrases) To want, desire. See also would like.

Usage notes

• In its senses of “enjoy” and “maintain as a regular habit”, like is a catenative verb; in the former, it usually takes a gerund (-ing form), while in the latter, it takes a to-infinitive. See also English catenative verbs.

• Like is only used to mean “want” in certain expressions, such as “if you like” and “I would like”. The conditional form, would like, is used quite freely as a polite synonym for want.

Noun

like (plural likes)

(usually, in the plural) Something that a person likes (prefers).

Synonyms: favorite, preference

Antonyms: dislike, pet hate, pet peeve

(internet) An individual vote showing support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet.

Etymology 2

Adjective

like (comparative more like, superlative most like)

Similar.

(obsolete) Likely; probable.

Hyponyms

• algebra-like

• array-like

• cliff-like

• function-like

• glacier-like

• group-like

• HTML-like

• lattice-like

• module-like

• reflection-like

• ring-like

• spiral-like

• Unix-like

• valley-like

• Windows-like

• XHTML-like

• XML-like

Adverb

like (comparative more like, superlative most like)

(obsolete, colloquial) Likely.

(archaic or rare) In a like or similar manner.

Noun

like (plural likes)

(sometimes as the likes of) Someone similar to a given person, or something similar to a given object; a comparative; a type; a sort.

(golf) The stroke that equalizes the number of strokes played by the opposing player or side.

Synonyms

• ilk

Antonyms

• antithesis, opposite

Conjunction

like

(colloquial) As, the way.

As if; as though.

Usage notes

• The American Heritage Dictionary opines that using like as a conjunction, instead of as, the way, as if, or as though, is informal; it has, however, been routine since the Middle English period.

Preposition

like

Similar to, reminiscent of.

Typical of

Approximating

In the manner of, similarly to.

Such as

As if there would be.

Synonyms

• (such as): for example, such as, (archaic) as

Antonyms

• unlike

Particle

like

(colloquial, Scotland, Geordie, Teesside, Scouse) A delayed filler.

(colloquial) A mild intensifier.

(colloquial) indicating approximation or uncertainty

(colloquial, slang) When preceded by any form of the verb to be, used to mean “to say” or “to think”; used to precede an approximate quotation or paraphrase.

Synonyms

• (delayed filler): I mean, you know

• (mild intensifier): I mean, well, you know

• (indicating approximation or uncertainty): I mean, well, you know

• (colloquial: used to precede paraphrased quotations): be all, go

Usage notes

The use as a quotative is informal. It is commonly used by young people, and commonly disliked by older generations, especially in repeated use. It may be combined with the use of the present tense as a narrative. Similar terms are to go and all, as in I go, “Why did you do that?” and he goes, “I don't know” and I was all, “Why did you do that?” and he was all, “I don't know.” These expressions can imply that the attributed remark which follows is representative rather than necessarily an exact quotation; however, in speech these structures do tend to require mimicking the original speaker's inflection in a way said would not.

Excessive use of "like" as a meaningless filler is widely criticised.

Interjection

like

(Liverpool, Geordie) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.

Etymology 3

Verb

like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle liking, simple past and past participle liked)

(chiefly dialectal, intransitive) To be likely.

Anagrams

• Kiel, Kile, kile, liek

Proper noun

Like (plural Likes)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Like is the 21878^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1187 individuals. Like is most common among White (81.3%) individuals.

Anagrams

• Kiel, Kile, kile, liek

Source: Wiktionary

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Like, a. [Compar. Liker; superl. Likest.] Etym: [OE. lik, ilik, gelic, AS. gelic, fr. pref. ge- + lic body, and orig. meaning, having the same body, shape, or appearance, and hence, like; akin to OS. gilik, D. gelijk, G. gleich, OHG. gilih, Icel. likr, glikr, Dan. lig, Sw. lik, Goth. galeiks, OS. lik body, D. lijk, G. leiche, Icel. lik, Sw. lik, Goth. leik. The English adverbial ending-ly is from the same adjective. Cf. Each, Such, Which.]

1. Having the same, or nearly the same, appearance, qualities, or characteristics; resembling; similar to; similar; alike; -- often with in and the particulars of the resemblance; as, they are like each other in features, complexion, and many traits of character. 'The as like you As cherry is to cherry. Shak. Like master, like man. Old Prov. He giveth snow like wool; he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. Ps. cxlvii. 16.

Note: To, which formerly often followed like, is now usually omitted.

2. Equal, or nearly equal; as, fields of like extent. More clergymen were impoverished by the late war than ever in the like space before. Sprat.

3. Having probability; affording probability; probable; likely. [Likely is more used now.] Shak. But it is like the jolly world about us will scoff at the paradox of these practices. South. Many were not easy to be governed, nor like to conform themselves to strict rules. Clarendon.

4. Inclined toward; disposed to; as, to feel like taking a walk. Had like (followed by the infinitive), had nearly; came little short of. Had like to have been my utter overthrow. Sir W. Raleigh Ramona had like to have said the literal truth, . . . but recollected herself in time. Mrs. H. H. Jackson. Like figures (Geom.), similar figures.

Note: Like is used as a suffix, converting nouns into adjectives expressing resemblance to the noun; as, manlike, like a man; childlike, like a child; godlike, like a god, etc. Such compounds are readily formed whenever convenient, and several, as crescentlike, serpentlike, hairlike, etc., are used in this book, although, in some cases, not entered in the vocabulary. Such combinations as bell-like, ball-like, etc., are hyphened.

Like, n.

1. That which is equal or similar to another; the counterpart; an exact resemblance; a copy. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. Shak.

2. A liking; a preference; inclination; -- usually in pl.; as, we all have likes and dislikes.

Like, adv. Etym: [AS. gelice. See Like, a.]

1. In a manner like that of; in a manner similar to; as, do not act like him. He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. Job xii. 25.

Note: Like, as here used, is regarded by some grammarians as a preposition.

2. In a like or similar manner. Shak. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. ciii. 13.

3. Likely; probably. "Like enough it will." Shak.

Like, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Liked; p. pr. & vb. n. Liking.] Etym: [OE. liken to please, AS. lician, gelician, fr.gelic. See Like, a.]

1. To suit; to please; to be agreeable to. [Obs.] Cornwall him liked best, therefore he chose there. R. of Gloucester. I willingly confess that it likes me much better when I find virtue in a fair lodging than when I am bound to seek it in an ill-favored creature. Sir P. Sidney.

2. To be pleased with in a moderate degree; to approve; to take satisfaction in; to enjoy. He proceeded from looking to liking, and from liking to loving. Sir P. Sidney.

3. To liken; to compare.[Obs.] Like me to the peasant boys of France. Shak.

Like, v. i.

1. To be pleased; to choose. He may either go or stay, as he best likes. Locke.

2. To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition). [Obs.] You like well, and bear your years very well. Shak.

3. To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly; as, he liked to have been too late. Cf. Had like, under Like, a. [Colloq.] He probably got his death, as he liked to have done two years ago, by viewing the troops for the expedition from the wall of Kensington Garden. Walpole. To like of, to be pleased with. [Obs.] Massinger.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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