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.

Micron Technology shares were on pace to snap a six-session losing streak Friday, with an analyst likening the recent market freakout over memory stocks to last winter’s DeepSeek saga that ultimately proved a blip.

From MarketWatch

A month of US and Israeli attacks have damaged at least 120 museums and cultural and historic sites nationwide, a top Tehran official said, including the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace -- sometimes likened to Versailles.

From Barron's

BTS’ comeback could be likened to a classical Greek hero’s homecoming.

From Salon

One political expert likened his death to "the end of an era", telling the BBC: "He died, but the full truth died with him."

From BBC

Unified board member Gonez likened the resolution to a “reckoning at all levels of government and across our educational institutions.”

From Los Angeles Times

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