- present participle of like.
liking
Americannoun
-
likings
plural
-
preference, inclination, or favor.
to show a liking for privacy.
- Synonyms:
- affection, fondness, partiality, predilection, propensity, leaning
- Antonyms:
- antipathy
-
pleasure or taste.
much to his liking.
-
the state or feeling of a person who likes.
noun
-
the feeling of a person who likes; fondness
-
a preference, inclination, or pleasure
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of liking
before 900; Middle English; Old English līcung. See like 2, -ing 1
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.
See Examples For:
These little things also have cute avatars, which you can customize to your liking.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
“That’s a big step towards people liking AI more.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
Wanting is the motivational pull towards something; liking is the pleasure of having it.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
With nearly every surface painted to her liking, Jordan pictures herself staying in the apartment for a while.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
What’s the difference between liking Jasmine as a friend and liking Jasmine as a girlfriend?
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
They are, wrote Dickens, “the curious old records of likings and dislikings; of jealousies and revenges; of affection defying the power of death, and hatred pursued beyond the grave.”
From The Guardian ● Jun. 12, 2015
For shops that do it right, there are plenty of lines that a longboard customer should be able to pick through to find his or her likings.
From Time Magazine Archive
In Continent's End readers can get a clear picture of Jackson's literary likings when he is unconcerned with reviews or discoveries.
From Time Magazine Archive
In matters of art, Blake's hates were as passionate and as swollen with moral assurance as his likings.
From Time Magazine Archive
Emma felt this sentence would give people “an opening to say, however unjustly, that he considered all spiritual beliefs no higher than hereditary aversions or likings, such as the fear of monkeys towards snakes.”
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
