Synonyms

liken

American

[lahy-kuhn] / ˈlaɪ kən /

verb (used with object)

to represent as similar or like; compare.

to liken someone to a weasel.

liken British

/ ˈlaɪkən /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unlikened adjective

Etymology

Origin of liken

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

She likens it to watching a burglar pile up your prized possessions on the other side of an impassable chasm.

From BBC

For his latest film, the quest for goosebumps took him to the frontier of AI as he followed researchers on an expedition they liken to the discovery of fire and electricity—or the atomic bomb.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lee heaped praise on Takaichi's drumming skills in a post on X, and likened their diplomatic efforts to the musical duet.

From BBC

She could dismiss my preparations if she wanted, but I likened our arrangement to the night I had to fight off a pushy raccoon back on the farm.

From Literature

In long, meandering speeches laced with peasant folklore, Museveni often appeals for more time, likening himself to a farmer leaving a plantation just as it starts bearing fruit.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023