dislike

American

[dis-lahyk] / dɪsˈlaɪk /

verb (used with object)

disliked, disliking

to regard with displeasure, antipathy, or aversion.

I dislike working. I dislike oysters.

noun

a feeling of aversion; antipathy.

a strong dislike for Bach.

Synonyms:

disrelish

dislike British

/ dɪsˈlaɪk /

verb

(tr) to consider unpleasant or disagreeable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

a feeling of aversion or antipathy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Dislike, disgust, distaste, repugnance imply antipathy toward something. Dislike is a general word, sometimes connoting an inherent or permanent feeling of antipathy for something: to have a dislike for crowds. Disgust connotes a feeling of loathing for what is offensive to the feelings and sensibilities: He felt disgust at seeing such ostentation. Distaste implies a more or less settled dislike: to have distaste for spicy foods, for hard work. Repugnance is a strong feeling of aversion for, and antagonism toward, something: to feel repugnance for (or toward ) low criminals.

Other Word Forms

dislikable adjective
dislikeable adjective
predislike noun
self-dislike noun
self-disliked adjective

Etymology

Origin of dislike

First recorded in 1545–55; dis- ¹ + like ²

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.

Mr. Tremlett makes his dislike of Franco plain throughout his book.

From The Wall Street Journal

I have a theory, however, that the band's notorious dislike of "the old stuff" is an elaborate ruse.

From BBC

I felt uncomfortable and disliked the entire process.

From The Wall Street Journal

But doing research for a book on Joshua trees, I discovered something unexpected: White Americans who first encountered these trees didn’t just dislike them.

From Los Angeles Times

"People who always seemed to dislike or hate him ended up growing to love him in the end. Like his dad," he added.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023