liking

[lahy-king]

noun

1. preference, inclination, or favor.

   to show a liking for privacy.

   Synonyms: affection, fondness, partiality, predilection, propensity, leaning
   Antonyms: antipathy

2. pleasure or taste.

   much to his liking.

3. the state or feeling of a person who likes. like.

liking

/ ˈlaɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. the feeling of a person who likes; fondness

2. a preference, inclination, or pleasure

Other Word Forms

• overliking noun
• self-liking adjective
• underliking noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of liking¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English līcung. See like ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

When they didn’t run them to his liking, the governor ousted them himself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Clayton Wasser, whose older brother Harrison plays baseball, has taken more of a liking to playing soccer, but would still ask, “Am I pitching tonight?” on Dodgers game days, says his father.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I thought to be able to do 1,000 games is a symbol of resilience and perseverance and people actually liking what you do.

Read more on BBC

Keaton stuck a clothespin on the tip of her nose to make it smaller, and acted the part of an extrovert: big laugh, big hair and, when she stopped liking her hair, big hats.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When doing so, she says it's important to remember the "liking gap" - the negative disconnect between how we think others perceive us and their actual opinion.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• affinity