of the same form, appearance, kind, character, amount, etc..
I cannot remember a like instance.
corresponding or agreeing in general or in some noticeable respect; similar; analogous.
drawing, painting, and like arts.
bearing resemblance.
Dialect. likely or probable.
'Tis like that he's gone mad.
Dialect. about; almost ready, as to perform some action.
The poor chap seemed like to run away.
in like manner with; similarly to; in the manner characteristic of.
He works like a beaver.
resembling (someone or something).
He is just like his father. Your necklace is just like mine.
characteristic of.
It would be like him to forget our appointment.
as if there is promise of; indicative of.
It looks like rain.
as if someone or something gives promise of being.
She looks like a good prospect for the job.
disposed or inclined to (usually preceded byfeel ).
to feel like going to bed.
similar or comparable to.
There is nothing like a cold drink of water when one is thirsty. What was he like?
(used correlatively to indicate similarity through relationship).
like father, like son.
(used to establish an intensifying, often facetious, comparison): They ran like hell down the street.
Last night I slept like a log.
They ran like hell down the street.
as; such as.
There are numerous hobbies you might enjoy, like photography or painting.
nearly; closely; approximately.
The house is more like 40 than 20 years old.
Informal. likely or probably.
Like enough he'll come with us. Like as not her leg is broken.
Nonstandard.
as it were; in a way; somehow.
I did it like wrong.
to a degree; more or less.
The guy was standing against the wall, looking very tough like.
in the same way as; just as; as.
It happened like you might expect it would.
as if.
He acted like he was afraid. The car runs like new.
a similar or comparable person or thing, or like persons or things; counterpart, match, or equal (usually preceded by a possessive adjective orthe ).
No one has seen his like in a long time. Like attracts like.
kind; sort; type; ilk (usually preceded by a possessive adjective).
I despise moochers and their like.
the like, something of a similar nature.
They grow oranges, lemons, and the like.
like to, was on the verge of or came close to (doing something): Also liked to.
The poor kid like to froze.
be like, to say, declare, think, or feel (usually used to introduce reported speech or thought).
She's like, “I don't believe it,” and I'm like, “No, it's true!”
like anything, very much; extremely; with great intensity.
He wanted like anything to win.
the like / likes of, someone or something similar to; the equal of.
I've never seen the like of it anywhere.
something like, something approaching or approximating.
It looked something like this.
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: I like my coffee with milk and sugar.
I'd like a piece of cake, please.
I like my coffee with milk and sugar.
Digital Technology. 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.
Usually likes the things a person likes.
a long list of likes and dislikes.
(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.
similar to; similarly to; in the manner of
acting like a maniac
he's so like his father
used correlatively to express similarity in certain proverbs
like mother, like daughter
such as
there are lots of ways you might amuse yourself — like taking a long walk, for instance
a dialect word for likely
not_standard as it were: often used as a parenthetic filler
there was this policeman just staring at us, like
informal used to introduce direct speech or nonverbal communication
I was like, ‘You're kidding!’
not_standard as though; as if
you look like you've just seen a ghost
in the same way as; in the same way that
she doesn't dance like you do
the equal or counterpart of a person or thing, esp one respected or prized
compare like with like
her like will never be seen again
similar things
dogs, foxes, and the like
people or things similar to (someone or something specified)
we don't want the likes of you around here
(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; regard
how did she like it?
(intr) to feel disposed or inclined; choose; wish
archaic (tr) to please; agree with
it likes me not to go
resembling or similar to
lifelike
springlike
having the characteristics of
childlike
ladylike
Like1 as a conjunction meaning “as, in the same way as” ( Many shoppers study the food ads like brokers study market reports ) or “as if ” ( It looks like it will rain ) has been used for nearly 500 years and by many distinguished literary and intellectual figures. Since the mid-19th century there have been objections, often vehement, to these uses. Nevertheless, such uses are almost universal today in all but the most formal speech and writing. In extremely careful speech and in much formal writing, as, as if, and as though are more commonly used than like : The commanding general accepted full responsibility for the incident, as any professional soldier would. Many of the Greenwich Village bohemians lived as if (or as though ) there were no tomorrow. The strong strictures against the use of like as a conjunction have resulted in the occasional hypercorrect use of as as a preposition where like is idiomatic: She looks as a sympathetic person. Like meaning “as if ” is also standard in informal speech and writing with a small number of adjectives: The crew worked like crazy (or like mad ) to finish the job on time. See also as.
The use of like to mean such as was formerly thought to be undesirable in formal writing, but has now become acceptable. It was also thought that as rather than like should be used to mean in the same way that , but now both as and like are acceptable: they hunt and catch fish as/like their ancestors used to. The use of look like and seem like before a clause, although very common, is thought by many people to be incorrect or non-standard: it looks as though he won't come (not it looks like he won't come )
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English lic, lik, from Old Norse līkr; replacing Old English gelīc, cognate with Dutch gelijk, German gleich, Old Norse glīkr, Gothic galeiks “like,” literally, “of the same body or form”; see y-, lich
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb liken, Old English līcian; cognate with Dutch lijken, Old Norse līka; from the same Germanic root as like 1
If you like your new shoes, you are glad you bought them. If you are like your mother, you are similar to her in more ways than you probably want to admit. The meaning of like has to do with being similar: maybe you sound just like your sister when you answer the phone. Or, in giving an example, like is the go-to word to introduce it: "We enjoy sports like hockey." Like also can mean "enjoy" or "favor." We can see this in the word's origin, the Old English lician, meaning “be pleasing.” The speech pattern of saying "like" incessantly doesn't, like, mean anything.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Now it feels like a young person’s game.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
But like the current wellness movement, looksmaxxers are preoccupied with masculinity.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
Fire crews have arrived in the south-west from all corners of France - from Brittany in the north to cities like Marseille and Lyon in the south.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Make them more like a kid’s birthday party.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The British call it a mouth organ. We call it a harmonica. Hold it like this.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"There’s no road to where I was collecting. You had to take a plane and land on a grass strip on a mountain. It’s very Jurassic Park -like."
From Washington Post ● Jul. 27, 2016
It is likely, though, that both quangos reporting on transport in the North will concentrate their efforts of solutions which bring quick improvement for travellers -like electrifying the Leeds-Manchester route and putting on extra carriages.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2016
In January, WeChat’s “moments” section, a Facebook FB -0.14 % -like newsfeed page where users share photos and other status updates, started running sponsored posts from advertisers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2015
And usually, the event is already sold out or in a far-off location -like Justin Timberlake’s upcoming Aug. 24 concert in Iceland.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2014
The cub gave a low, warning ‘Uff!’ -like his mother used to when she wanted them back in the Den now.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Hayes explained that this type of segmentation could be used to develop tailored products that account for the specific "sour liker" taste profile.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024
Some context: Wesley Britt, the tweet liker, is married to Katie Britt, who is running against several other Republicans in the Alabama primary for this year’s midterm elections.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2022
But I was a very active liker of “A Ghost Story,” which, as with “The Green Knight,” seems to unfold in some eerie netherworld between life and death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
And twice that morning, reporters asked him if he himself was the liker.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 12, 2017
As for young Miss Jean, she’s liker ither folk than ye think.”
From The Twa Miss Dawsons by Robertson, Margaret M. (Margaret Murray)
Mercy, Shakespeare wrote, "Earthly power doth then show likest God's/ When mercy seasons justice."
From Time ● Jan. 17, 2012
The golden sun in splendor likest Heaven Allured his eye.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah
"How likest thou the little jungle waif, Ram Deen?" inquired the Thanadar.
From The Taming of the Jungle by Doyle, Dr. C. W.
Dwell in some idle brain, And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess As thick and numberless As the gay motes that people the sunbeams, Or likest hovering dreams, The fickle pensioners of Morpheus' train.
From The Golden Treasury Selected from the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language and arranged with Notes by Various
Indade, thin, I couldn't be sayin' whidder it's likest the masther or the misthress he is.
From Harper's Young People, October 5, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
Megan Romer likes to spend her free time sewing costumes for school plays, picking blackberries in her backyard in rural Cayuga County, N.Y., and watching her partner play the fiddle in folk bands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
PayPal has to compete with the likes of Apple Pay, which saw growing adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Results are expected this week and next from the likes of SK hynix, Samsung Electronics and Japanese tech investment vehicle SoftBank Group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
To her surprise, it got more than 18,000 likes and 1,700 reposts.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He looks at me, and at once, it becomes very clear that he likes me, maybe as much as I like him.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The physicists liked physical models, and economists liked linear models, so machine learning didn’t fit cleanly into either camp and was viewed with suspicion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It felt disappointing because I liked him, but relieving because he wasn’t going to be a good partner,” Vlasova said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Listen, I don’t know anyone who liked Holden Caulfield the first time they read the book, probably because he is not supposed to be particularly likable; Salinger wrote the book for adults, not teens.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Where he once liked to hit the clubs, Araki now mostly stays home with his boyfriend of some 14 years and two small dogs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
But my rez friends were the kids I went to school with and maybe a few of their cousins who liked Star Wars or comics.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
“Who knows? Maybe their parents might end up liking this too.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
At one point his security guards moved in protectively as the scrum moved a little too close for their liking, but the King survived the close encounter unharmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Unofficial poll time: How are you liking the World Cup now?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The Emmy-winning journalist said she suspected early on that Jeff Fager, the “60 Minutes” executive producer at the time, didn’t take a liking to her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
But I never stopped liking a warm bath.
From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
