English Online Dictionary. What means like? What does like mean?
English
Alternative forms
- lak
Pronunciation
- enPR: līk, IPA(key): /laɪ̯k/
- (MLE, Jamaica) IPA(key): /læ̙ːk/, /lɑːk/
- (Dublin English) IPA(key): /lɔɪ̯k/
- Rhymes: -aɪk
Etymology 1
Verb from Middle English liken, from Old English līcian (“to like, to please”), from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“image; likeness; similarity”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian liekje (“to be similar, resemble”), Dutch lijken (“to seem”), German Low German lieken (“to be like; resemble”), German gleichen (“to resemble”), Swedish lika (“to like; put up with; align with”), Norwegian like (“to like”), Icelandic líka (“to like”).
Noun from Middle English like (“pleasure, will, like”), from the verb Middle English liken (“to like”).
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: (British) fancy, 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.
- Antonyms: unlike, dislike
- (with 'would' and in certain other phrases) To want, desire. See also would like.
- Of inanimate objects:
- (informal, personification) To be prone to.
- (informal, chiefly in the negative) Of a computer or other system: to tolerate as an input; to accept.
- (informal, personification) To be prone to.
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 Appendix: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.
Derived terms
Related terms
- like like
- would like
Descendants
- Jersey Dutch: lāike
Translations
Noun
like (plural likes)
- (chiefly 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, approval of, or enjoyment of, something posted on the Internet.
Derived terms
- like farm
Descendants
- → Russian: лайк (lajk)
- → Ukrainian: лайк (lajk)
Translations
References
- like on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2
Adjective from Middle English lik, lyk, lich, like, from Old English ġelīċ by shortening, influenced by Old Norse líkr, glíkr; both from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“like, similar, same”). Related to alike; more distantly, with lich and -ly. Cognate with West Frisian like (“like; as”), Saterland Frisian gliek (“like”), Danish lig (“alike”), Dutch gelijk (“like, alike”), German gleich (“equal, like”), Icelandic líkur (“alike, like, similar”), Norwegian lik (“like, alike”) Swedish lik (“like, similar”)
Adverb from Middle English like, lyke, liche, lyche, from Old English ġelīċe (“likewise, also, as, in like manner, similarly”) and Old Norse líka (“also, likewise”); both from Proto-Germanic *galīkê, from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“same, like, similar”).
Conjunction from Middle English like, lyke, lik, lyk, from the adverb Middle English like.
Preposition from Middle English like, lyke, liche, lyche, lijc, liih (“similar to, like, equal to, comparable with”), from Middle English like (adjective) and like (adverb).
Adjective
like (comparative more like, superlative most like)
- Similar.
- (archaic or Scotland, Southern US) Likely; probable.
- 1668, Robert South, The Messiah's Sufferings for the Sins of the People (sermon, March 20, 1668)
- But it is like the jolly world about us will scoff at the paradox of these practices.
- 1668, Robert South, The Messiah's Sufferings for the Sins of the People (sermon, March 20, 1668)
- (Scotland, Southern US, otherwise archaic, usually with to) inclined (to), prone (to).
Derived terms
Related terms
- as like as not
Translations
Adverb
like (comparative more like, superlative most like)
- (obsolete, colloquial) Likely.
- (archaic or rare) In a like or similar manner.
Noun
like (countable and uncountable, 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.
- 1935, Winston Churchill on T.E. Lawrence
- We shall never see his like again.
- (golf) The stroke that equalizes the number of strokes played by the opposing player or side.
Synonyms
- ilk
Antonyms
- antithesis, opposite
Derived terms
- like-for-like
Translations
Conjunction
like
See Usage notes below.
- (colloquial) As, the way.
- 1966, Advertising slogan for Winston cigarettes
- Winston tastes good like a cigarette should
- 1966, Advertising slogan for Winston cigarettes
- (usually colloquial) 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 strictly informal; it has, however, been routine since the Middle English period. AHD4 says, "Writers since Chaucer's time have used like as a conjunction, but 19th-century and 20th-century critics have been so vehement in their condemnations of this usage that a writer who uses the construction in formal style risks being accused of illiteracy or worse", and recommends using as in formal speech and writing. The Oxford English Dictionary does not tag it as colloquial or nonstandard, but notes, "Used as conj[unction]: = 'like as', 'as'. Now generally condemned as vulgar or slovenly, though examples may be found in many recent writers of standing."
Derived terms
- be like
- feel like
- like it's going out of style
- make like
- look like
- seem like
- sound like
- would like
Preposition
like
- Similar to, reminiscent of
- Typical of
- It would be just like Achilles to be sulking in his tent.
- Approximating
- Popcorn costs something like $10 dollars at the movies.
- In the manner of, similarly to
- He doesn't act like a president.
- Such as
- It's for websites like Wikipedia.
- As if there would be
- It looks like a hot summer in Europe.
- Used to ask for a description or opinion of someone or something
- I hear she has a new boyfriend. What's he like?
- What's the weather like in Ürümqi today?
Synonyms
- (such as): for example, such as, (archaic) as
Antonyms
- unlike
Derived terms
- like a bull at a gate
- like a demon
Translations
Particle
like
- Likely.
- (colloquial, Scotland, Ireland, Geordie, Teesside, Liverpool) A delayed filler.
- (colloquial) Indicating approximation or uncertainty.
- (colloquial) Used to precede an approximate quotation or paraphrase or an expression of something that happened.
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. (For its use preceded by a form of be, see be like.) 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.
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
Translations
Etymology 3
From like (adverb) and like (adjective).
Verb
like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle liking, simple past and past participle liked)
- (chiefly dialectal, intransitive) To be likely.
References
- A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, →ISBN
- “like”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Further reading
- “I'm (like) ” from Language Log
Anagrams
- Kiel, Kile, kile, liek
Chinese
Etymology
Borrowed from English like.
Pronunciation
Noun
like
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, social media) like
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively) appreciation; approval
Derived terms
Verb
like
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, Internet slang) to like
- (Cantonese) Alternative form of likey.
See also
- likey
Danish
Etymology
Borrowed from English like.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [lɑjɡ̊]
Noun
like n (singular definite liket, plural indefinite likes)
- (Internet) like
Verb
like (imperative like, infinitive at like, present tense liker, past tense likede, perfect tense har liket)
- (Internet) to like
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English like.
Pronunciation
- Homophones: likent, likes
Verb
like
- inflection of liker:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Noun
like m (plural des likes)
- (Internet) a like
- Synonym: j’aime
German
Verb
like
- inflection of liken:
- first-person singular present
- first/third-person singular subjunctive I
- singular imperative
Hawaiian
Etymology
From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *lite. Compare Maori rite.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈli.ke/
Verb
like
- (stative) like, alike, similar
Derived terms
- hoʻolike: to make things equal, to make things similar (less common)
- hoʻohālike: to make things equal, to make things similar (more common)
References
- Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “like”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Old Norse líka, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną.
Verb
like (imperative lik, present tense liker, simple past likte, past participle likt)
- to like
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
like
- definite singular of lik
- plural of lik
Etymology 3
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Adverb
like
- as, equally
Derived terms
- likefullt, like fullt
- likeledes
- likeså
References
- “like” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /²liːkə/
Etymology 1
Inherited from Old Norse líka.
Alternative forms
- lika
Verb
like (imperative lik or like, present tense likar or liker, simple past lika or likte, past participle lika or likt)
- to like
Etymology 2
Adjective
like
- definite singular of lik
- plural of lik
Etymology 3
Inherited from Old Norse líka.
Adverb
like
- as, equally
- just, immediately
References
- “like” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English like.
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ajki
Noun
like m (plural likes)
- (Brazil, social media) like (Internet interaction)
- Synonyms: (Brazil) curtida, (Brazil) joinha, (Portugal) gosto
Derived terms
- dar like
Scots
Etymology
From Old English līcian (“to be pleasing”).
Verb
like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle likin, simple past likit, past participle likit)
- To like.
- To be hesitant to do something.
- I dinna like. ― I'm not certain I would like to.
- To love somebody or something.
Adverb
like (not comparable)
- like
Interjection
like
- (South Scots) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.
- Oo jist saw it the now, like. ― We like, just now saw it.
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English like.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlaik/ [ˈlai̯k]
- Rhymes: -aik
Noun
like m (plural likes)
- (Internet slang) like
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Swedish
Adjective
like
- definite natural masculine singular of lik
Noun
like c
- match (someone similarly skillful)