liken

[lahy-kuh n]

See more synonyms for liken on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to represent as similar or like; compare: to liken someone to a weasel.

Origin of liken

First recorded in 1275–1325, liken is from the Middle English word liknen. See like¹, -en¹

Related formsun·lik·ened, adjective

Can be confusedlichen liken

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for likening

Contemporary Examples

Likening their creation to a cultural telescope, they proceed to share some of their ostensibly dazzling findings.
Why Big Data Doesn’t Live up to the Hype
Nick Romeo
January 4, 2014
He coached me on how to perform oral sex, likening it to “sucking a lollipop.”
Raped by a Teacher: One Woman’s Tragic Past at the Horace Mann School
Abigail Pesta
September 19, 2012
He displayed “an attitude of complacency,” with one likening him to “a dodgy geezer.”
Britain’s Dodgy Coppers
Graeme McLagan
July 31, 2011
Khrushchev was offended by that likening of him to a dog barking.
Nikita Khrushchev, Talk Show Guest
Stephen Battaglio
November 20, 2010
Kiselyov is fond of Third Reich references, likening Russian anti-corruption campaigner and Putin critic Alexey Navalny to Hitler.
Putin’s New Shock Jock
James Kirchick
December 17, 2013

Historical Examples

If she says she is sorry for likening me to Winfield, I will tell her who sent the roses.
Polly in New York
Lillian Elizabeth Roy
To the first part alone he gave his approval, likening it to the Song of Solomon.
Balzac
Frederick Lawton
He was fond of likening his suite of office rooms to the bottom of a ship.
Whirligigs
O. Henry
It is hard to say what "exquisite reason" Cervantes can have had for likening a girl's eyes to emeralds above all other gems.
The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The policeman's figure of speech, likening the lodgers to "herrings in a barrel," accurately described the scene.
The Fallen Leaves
Wilkie Collins

British Dictionary definitions for likening

liken

verb

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

Word Origin

C14: from like 1 (adj)

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

Word Origin and History for likening

liken

v.

late 13c., "to represent as like," from like (adj.) + -en (1). Related: Likened; likening.

liken

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}liken

Examples from the Web for likening

Contemporary Examples

Likening their creation to a cultural telescope, they proceed to share some of their ostensibly dazzling findings.

He coached me on how to perform oral sex, likening it to “sucking a lollipop.”

He displayed “an attitude of complacency,” with one likening him to “a dodgy geezer.”

Khrushchev was offended by that likening of him to a dog barking.

Kiselyov is fond of Third Reich references, likening Russian anti-corruption campaigner and Putin critic Alexey Navalny to Hitler.

Historical Examples

If she says she is sorry for likening me to Winfield, I will tell her who sent the roses.

To the first part alone he gave his approval, likening it to the Song of Solomon.

He was fond of likening his suite of office rooms to the bottom of a ship.

It is hard to say what "exquisite reason" Cervantes can have had for likening a girl's eyes to emeralds above all other gems.

The policeman's figure of speech, likening the lodgers to "herrings in a barrel," accurately described the scene.

liken

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for likening

liken

v.

Origin of liken