dislike
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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self-dislikedadjective
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dislikeableadjective
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self-dislikenoun
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predislikenoun
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dislikableadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have dislikedperfect
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has dislikedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been dislikingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been dislikingperfect progressive
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are dislikingprogressive
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am dislikingprogressive 1st person singular
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is dislikingprogressive 3rd person singular
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dislikessingular 3rd person
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dislikingparticiple
Past
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had dislikedperfect
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had been dislikingperfect progressive
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were dislikingprogressive plural
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was dislikingprogressive singular
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dislikedsimple
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dislikedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dislike
Explanation
Put simply, to dislike can be used as a transitive verb that means to "not like." Maybe you dislike spinach. But it can also be a noun, as in "You seem to have developed quite a dislike for spinach." English being a language of trial-and-error, the word dislike came about in the mid-16th Century, as modern English was still in its infancy. At that time, some words were tried and discarded, to be replaced with others that stuck. That was the case with dislike, which developed after the word "mislike" was dropped as the opposite of "like." Speaking of prefixes, don't confuse the word dislike with "unlike," which means that something is different from something else.
Vocabulary lists containing dislike
Power Prefix: dis-
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dis-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: dis-
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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.
Dislike of Luna, meanwhile, is lower — 33% of likely voters view him favorably, while 13% view him unfavorably — but he remains an unknown to many voters.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2022
The best-known article, by researchers at Harvard University, has the revealing title “Nonhuman Primates Prefer Slow Tempos but Dislike Music Overall.”
From Salon • Mar. 3, 2019
Dislike him for a soft approach if you must.
From Washington Post • Jul. 4, 2016
Q. Parents Dislike Boyfriend: My boyfriend of a year-and-a-half is amazing.
From Slate • Mar. 18, 2013
Dislike it! oh, how can you think so?
From A Country Gentleman and his Family by Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
