like

1 of 9

verb

liked; liking

transitive verb

1
a
: to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in : enjoy
likes baseball
b
: to feel toward : regard
how would you like a change
2
: to wish to have : want
would like a drink
3
: to do well in
this plant likes dry soil
my car does not like cold weather
4
: to electronically register one's approval of (something, such as an online post or comment) for others to see (as by clicking on an icon designed for that purpose)
[Brittany] Bunker then thanked the 477,000 people who had liked her post for their support …Natalie Cornish
How he picked out this seemingly random user and went ahead and liked the tweet is really surprising …Zach Pereles
5
chiefly dialectal : to be suitable or agreeable to
I like onions but they don't like me

intransitive verb

1
: to feel inclined : choose, prefer
leave any time you like
2
dialect : approve

like

2 of 9

noun (1)

1
2
: something that one likes
3
: the act or an instance of liking (see like entry 1 sense 4) an online comment, post, etc.
Her post got thousands of likes.

like

3 of 9

adjective

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 brethrenHebrews 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 mindH. J. Laski

like

4 of 9

preposition

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

like

5 of 9

noun (2)

1
a
: one that is similar : counterpart, equal
have … never seen the like beforeSir Winston Churchill
b
: kind sense 1a
usually used with a preceding possessive
put him and his like to some jobJ. R. R. Tolkien
2
: one of many that are similar to each other
used chiefly in proverbial expressions
like breeds like

like

6 of 9

adverb

1
archaic : equally
2
: likely, probably
you'll try it, some day, like enoughMark Twain
3
a
: to some extent : rather, altogether
saunter over nonchalantly likeWalter 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

like

7 of 9

conjunction

1
a
: as if
middle-aged men who looked like they might be out for their one night of the yearNorman 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 sweetmeatsJohn 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
Like vs. as: Usage Guide

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.

like

8 of 9

auxiliary verb

variants or liked
chiefly dialectal
: came near : was near
so loud I like to fell out of bedHelen Eustis
: resembling or characteristic of
bell-like
ladylike
Phrases
and the like 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 beforeJoseph Heller
as like as not or like as not

Examples of like in a Sentence

Verb He likes baseball, but he loves football. Do you like Mexican food? I liked the movie a lot more than I thought I would. I don't know what it is about that guy, but I just don't like him. They were political allies who truly liked each other. What is it that you like or dislike about him most? She says she likes him as a friend but she's not attracted to him. My boss was a tough guy, but I liked him for his honesty. Adjective you're not talking about like things when you compare football and golf Preposition The house looks like a barn. It's like when we were kids. She's not at all like her sister. The baby is more like his mother than his father. “Who is he like?” “He's not like anyone I've ever met before.” Adverb the cat would curl up, tightly like, and just go to sleep the distance is more like 500 miles Conjunction it looks like it's going to rain at any moment
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
No one likes dealing with lag, buffering, or app freezing. Dua Rashid / Gizmodo, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024 Some European officials like to frame this as a purely economic question. Luke McGee, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Mike likes a lot of psychological thrillers, so a lot of the longer, more thrilling psychological shots were from him. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2024 The Royals like to utilize his speed to create havoc on the base paths. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024 Friend and teammate Travis Kelce liked the post in a show of support. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 While on the more expensive side, there’s a lot to like about the Pottery Barn Kids’ Glenview dollhouse besides its realistic and attractive style. Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024 Toddlers and small children can splash around in Elmo’s Silly Sand Slides or Big Bird’s Beach, while older children might like the Cookie’s Monster Mixer and Oscar’s Rotten Rafts. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 Our expert didn’t like the way the autofocus fluttered, but if that is a non-issue for your purposes, this is a great little camera for content creators on the go. Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
Preposition
Koo keeps his philanthropic efforts low-key, much like his investments. Faye Bradley, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 So why does this just feel like more of the same white noise pitched at a slightly higher frequency? David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Getting nude color nail polish is like applying lip gloss. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024 Conner Prairie, a living history museum, will host Hoosier astronaut Mark Brown, who will teach what life was like living and working in space. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Instead of acting like a coach calling plays, Johnson often behaved like a referee mediating among rival wings of the Republican conference. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Larson, who has been dedicated to kids like Relisha for decades, still has the smiling girl’s sad-eyed photo up in her office. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 This is the true story of my friend’s grandparents, and no doubt countless others like them. Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 3 Mar. 2024 Sections like La Veleta and Aldea are newer and dominated by luxury-style apartments, restaurants, and boutiques. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
The founder of Ghost Agency already has a raft of major clients under her belt, having worked with TikTok for a number of years before taking on the likes of Alo Yoga, G Fuel Energy and a wide range of content creators. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Case in point: the ubiquity of the slip dress, which was championed by the likes of Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell back in the day. Alexandre Marain, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 One gambit might be to lean on an early pandemic-era move used by the likes of Delta Air Lines and others: Cashing in on its loyalty program, TrueBlue. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 In addition to stars from the Oppenheimer cast, the event was attended by the likes of Zoë Kravitz, Blackpink's Rosé and Olivia Wilde. Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Once in the postseason, there was no stopping the Warriors, who were tested by the likes of Harvard-Westlake, Crespi, Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the powerful Mission League. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 In his now-viral video, which currently has over 96,000 likes, Schmidt explained that butter sticks are sold in two different shapes based on where they’re produced. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Cord-cutting due to cheaper streaming video services from the likes of Netflix and Amazon continues to impact video subscriber counts for many pay TV companies, while cable giants like Charter seek to lean into their broadband customers. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 Yet, the likes of Kering and Burberry have faced some serious economic headwinds thanks to high inflation and the cost of living crisis. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 3 Mar. 2024
Adverb
For a tiny hint of what that’s like, check out his speech when Yes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024 The face of the watch isn’t flush like on the Active models, however. Brandon Widder, The Verge, 16 Dec. 2023 Jeezy is opening up like never before in a new interview with Nia Long. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023 The trick to wearing glasses that take up half your face is to choose a pair that’s mostly clear—or even better with subtle colored lenses like at Etro or Missoni. Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2023 From his relationship with Amber Heard to quietly welcoming a third baby with Grimes, here are some of the most surprising revelations from the new book Elon Musk is opening up like never before in a new biography that's creating headlines. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 On the back of each gift card, Best Buy warns customers to never use it for payment outside of Best Buy like for bills, bail or taxes. USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2023 There will be a movie theater, upstairs like, sort of, restaurant area. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 3 July 2023 What were the earliest sharks like, and when did some sharks come to dominate the marine food chain? Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'like.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

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

Adjective

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-

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Noun (1)

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Conjunction

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Auxiliary Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of like was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near like

Cite this Entry

“Like.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/like. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

like

1 of 9 verb
liked; liking
1
: to have a liking for : enjoy
likes baseball
2
: to feel toward : regard
how do you like this weather?
3
: to wish to have : want
would like a drink
4
: to feel inclined : choose
you can leave any time you like
5
: to indicate approval of (as an online post) for others to see (as by clicking on an icon designed for that purpose)

like

2 of 9 noun
1
: liking, preference
my likes and dislikes
2
: an instance of liking an online post

like

3 of 9 adjective
: being the same or very nearly the same
two like magnetic poles
suits of like design

like

4 of 9 preposition
1
a
: similar to
the house looks like a barn
b
: typical of
it would be just like you to do that
2
: similarly to
acting like a fool
blow it up like a balloon
3
: likely to
looks like rain
4
: such as
a subject like physics

like

5 of 9 noun
: equal entry 2 sense 1
may never see its like again
also : kind entry 1 sense 1a
I'd keep him and his like away

like

6 of 9 adverb
1
: likely entry 2, probably
like as not the cat's under the porch
2
: in some amount : somewhat, seemingly
it moves stiff like
3
: close to : within a little : nearer
the rate is more like 18 percent

like

7 of 9 conjunction
1
: as if
the plane looked like it would crash
pedaling like mad
2
: in the same way that : as
you sound just like I do
does it look like it used to?

like

8 of 9 helping verb
variants or liked
chiefly dialect
: came near : was near
I like to have died laughing

-like

9 of 9 adjective combining form
ˌlīk
: resembling or characteristic of
bell-like
ladylike
Etymology

Verb

Old English līcian "to take pleasure in"

Adjective

Old English gelīc "alike"

More from Merriam-Webster on like

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