verb (used with object), liked, lik·ing.
- 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: You can do exactly as you like while you are a guest here.
- Digital Technology. (sometimes initial capital letter) 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), liked, lik·ing.
- to feel inclined; wish: We’ll have lunch whenever you like.
- Archaic. to suit the tastes or wishes; please.
noun
- Usually likes. the things a person likes: a long list of likes and dislikes.
- Digital Technology. (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
- Digital Technology. (sometimes initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a feature used to like specific website content: a Like button; like boxes.
Idioms
- would like. would1(def 10).
adjective
- (prenominal) similar; resembling
preposition
- similar to; similarly to; in the manner ofacting like a maniac; he’s so like his father
- used correlatively to express similarity in certain proverbslike mother, like daughter
- such asthere 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 fillerthere was this policeman just staring at us, like
- be like … informal used to introduce direct speech or nonverbal communicationI was like, ‘You’re kidding!’
conjunction
- not standard as though; as ifyou look like you’ve just seen a ghost
- in the same way as; in the same way thatshe doesn’t dance like you do
noun
- the equal or counterpart of a person or thing, esp one respected or prizedcompare like with like; her like will never be seen again
- the like similar thingsdogs, foxes, and the like
- the likes of or the like of people or things similar to (someone or something specified)we don’t want the likes of you around here
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; regardhow did she like it?
- (intr) to feel disposed or inclined; choose; wish
- (tr) archaic to please; agree withit likes me not to go
noun
- (usually plural) a favourable feeling, desire, preference, etc (esp in the phrase likes and dislikes)
n.c.1200, “a similar thing” (to another), from like (adj.). adj.“having the same characteristics or qualities” (as another), Middle English shortening of Old English gelic “like, similar,” from Proto-Germanic *galika- “having the same form,” literally “with a corresponding body” (cf. Old Saxon gilik, Dutch gelijk, German gleich, Gothic galeiks “equally, like”), a compound of *ga- “with, together” + Germanic base *lik- “body, form; like, same” (cf. Old English lic “body,” German Leiche “corpse,” Danish lig, Swedish lik, Dutch lijk “body, corpse”). Analogous, etymologically, to Latin conform. The modern form (rather than *lich) may be from a northern descendant of the Old English word’s Norse cognate, glikr. Formerly with comparative liker and superlative likest (still in use 17c.). The preposition (c.1200) and the adverb (c.1300) both are from the adjective. As a conjunction, first attested early 16c. The word has been used as a postponed filler (“going really fast, like”) from 1778; as a presumed emphatic (“going, like, really fast”) from 1950, originally in counterculture slang and bop talk. Phrase more like it “closer to what is desired” is from 1888. v.Old English lician “to please, be sufficient,” from Proto-Germanic *likjan (cf. Old Norse lika, Old Frisian likia, Old High German lihhen, Gothic leikan “to please”), from *lik- “body, form; like, same.” The basic meaning seems to be “to be like” (see like (adj.)), thus, “to be suitable.” Like (and dislike) originally flowed the other way: It likes me, where we would say I like it. The modern flow began to appear late 14c. (cf. please). In addition to the idioms beginning with like
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