liken

[lahy-kuhn]

verb (used with object)

1. to represent as similar or like; compare.

   to liken someone to a weasel.

liken

/ ˈlaɪkən /

verb

1. (tr) to see or represent as the same or similar; compare

Other Word Forms

• unlikened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of liken¹

First recorded in 1275–1325, liken is from the Middle English word liknen. See like ¹, -en ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of liken¹

C14: from _like ¹ (adj)

Example Sentences

Volkswagen has likened China to a “fitness center” for the company.

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He has been publicly trolling the board and Chief Executive Calvin McDonald, likening their mistakes to a plane crash.

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State media likened Takaichi to the Japanese militarists who led the country into World War II.

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But Crow likens this period to the Civil War, when the government supported the creation of land-grant universities: “an unbelievable opportunity,” he says, despite “bloodbaths going on all of the time.”

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The company’s critics liken the environment to a casino, but its fans credit Robinhood with democratizing the lucrative world of sophisticated investments.

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Related Words

• equate 
• relate