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definitions

liking

[lahy-king]
See more synonyms for liking on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. preference, inclination, or favor: to show a liking for privacy.
  2. pleasure or taste: much to his liking.
  3. the state or feeling of a person who likes.

Origin of liking

before 900; Middle English; Old English līcung. See like2, -ing1
Related formso·ver·lik·ing, nounself-lik·ing, adjective, nounun·der·lik·ing, noun

Synonyms for liking

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
1. leaning, propensity, predilection, partiality, fondness, affection.

Antonyms for liking

1. antipathy.

like

2
[lahyk]
verb (used with object), liked, lik·ing.
  1. to take pleasure in; find agreeable or congenial: We all liked the concert.
  2. 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.
  3. to wish or prefer: You can do exactly as you like while you are a guest here.
  4. Digital Technology. (sometimes initial capital letter) 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.
verb (used without object), liked, lik·ing.
  1. to feel inclined; wish: We'll have lunch whenever you like.
  2. Archaic. to suit the tastes or wishes; please.
noun
  1. Usually likes. the things a person likes: a long list of likes and dislikes.
  2. Digital Technology. (sometimes initial capital letter)
    1. an instance of indicating one’s liking of specific website content: I see my comment got lots of likes.
    2. a feature or option, usually a button, that enables this: I installed a Like on my blog so you can subscribe to updates.
adjective
  1. Digital Technology. (sometimes initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a feature used to like specific website content: a Like button; like boxes.
Idioms
  1. would like. would1(def 10).

Origin of like

2
before 900; Middle English liken, Old English līcian; cognate with Dutch lijken, Old Norse līka; see like1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for liking

affinity, love, bent, mind, fancy, sympathy, bias, appetite, tendency, penchant, attraction, propensity, passion, attachment, inclination, stomach, favoritism, weakness, partiality, appreciation

Examples from the Web for liking

Contemporary Examples of liking

Historical Examples of liking

British Dictionary definitions for liking

liking

noun
  1. the feeling of a person who likes; fondness
  2. a preference, inclination, or pleasure

like

1
adjective
  1. (prenominal) similar; resembling
preposition
  1. similar to; similarly to; in the manner ofacting like a maniac; he's so like his father
  2. used correlatively to express similarity in certain proverbslike mother, like daughter
  3. such asthere are lots of ways you might amuse yourself — like taking a long walk, for instance
adverb
  1. a dialect word for likely
  2. not standard as it were: often used as a parenthetic fillerthere was this policeman just staring at us, like
  3. be like … informal used to introduce direct speech or nonverbal communicationI was like, ‘You're kidding!’
conjunction
  1. not standard as though; as ifyou look like you've just seen a ghost
  2. in the same way as; in the same way thatshe doesn't dance like you do
noun
  1. the equal or counterpart of a person or thing, esp one respected or prizedcompare like with like; her like will never be seen again
  2. the like similar thingsdogs, foxes, and the like
  3. the likes of or the like of people or things similar to (someone or something specified)we don't want the likes of you around here

Word Origin for like

shortened from Old English gelīc; compare Old Norse glīkr and līkr like

usage

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)

like

2
verb
  1. (tr) to find (something) enjoyable or agreeable or find it enjoyable or agreeable (to do something)he likes boxing; he likes to hear music
  2. (tr) to be fond of
  3. (tr) to prefer or wish (to do something)we would like you to go
  4. (tr) to feel towards; consider; regardhow did she like it?
  5. (intr) to feel disposed or inclined; choose; wish
  6. (tr) archaic to please; agree withit likes me not to go
noun
  1. (usually plural) a favourable feeling, desire, preference, etc (esp in the phrase likes and dislikes)

Word Origin for like

Old English līcian; related to Old Norse līka, Dutch lijken
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 liking

like

n.

c.1200, "a similar thing" (to another), from like (adj.).

like

adj.

"having the same characteristics or qualities" (as another), Middle English shortening of Old English gelic "like, similar," from Proto-Germanic *galika- "having the same form," literally "with a corresponding body" (cf. Old Saxon gilik, Dutch gelijk, German gleich, Gothic galeiks "equally, like"), a compound of *ga- "with, together" + Germanic base *lik- "body, form; like, same" (cf. Old English lic "body," German Leiche "corpse," Danish lig, Swedish lik, Dutch lijk "body, corpse"). Analogous, etymologically, to Latin conform. The modern form (rather than *lich) may be from a northern descendant of the Old English word's Norse cognate, glikr.

Formerly with comparative liker and superlative likest (still in use 17c.). The preposition (c.1200) and the adverb (c.1300) both are from the adjective. As a conjunction, first attested early 16c. The word has been used as a postponed filler ("going really fast, like") from 1778; as a presumed emphatic ("going, like, really fast") from 1950, originally in counterculture slang and bop talk. Phrase more like it "closer to what is desired" is from 1888.

like

v.

Old English lician "to please, be sufficient," from Proto-Germanic *likjan (cf. Old Norse lika, Old Frisian likia, Old High German lihhen, Gothic leikan "to please"), from *lik- "body, form; like, same."

The basic meaning seems to be "to be like" (see like (adj.)), thus, "to be suitable." Like (and dislike) originally flowed the other way: It likes me, where we would say I like it. The modern flow began to appear late 14c. (cf. please).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with liking

like

In addition to the idioms beginning with like

  • like a bat out of hell
  • like a bump on a log
  • like a cat on hot bricks
  • like a champ
  • like a chicken with its head cut off
  • like a drowned rat
  • like a fish out of water
  • like a house afire
  • like a lamb to the slaughter
  • like anything
  • like a shot
  • like as not
  • like as two peas in a pod
  • like a ton of bricks
  • like clockwork
  • like crazy
  • like death warmed over
  • like father, like son
  • like fun
  • like gangbusters
  • like greased lightning
  • like hell
  • like hot cakes, go
  • like it or lump it
  • likely as not
  • like mad
  • like nobody's business
  • like nothing on earth
  • like pigs in clover
  • like pulling teeth
  • like rolling off a log
  • like shooting fish in a barrel
  • likes of, the
  • like something the cat dragged in
  • like that
  • like to
  • like water off a duck's back

also see:

  • and the like
  • avoid like the plague
  • come up (smelling like) roses
  • crazy like a fox
  • drink like a fish
  • drop like flies
  • Dutch uncle, talk to like a
  • eat like a bird
  • feel like
  • (like a) fish out of water
  • fit like a glove
  • fly on the wall, would like to be a
  • get on (like a house afire)
  • go out (like a light)
  • go over (like a lead balloon)
  • grin like a Cheshire cat
  • (drop like a) hot potato
  • just like that
  • know like a book
  • live like a king
  • look like a million dollars
  • look like death
  • look like something the cat dragged in
  • look like the cat that ate the canary
  • make out like a bandit
  • manna from heaven, like
  • mind like a steel trap
  • need like a hole in the head
  • no fool like an old fool
  • not anything like
  • no time like the present
  • out like a light
  • packed in like sardines
  • sleep like a log
  • something like
  • spread like wildfire
  • stick out (like a sore thumb)
  • swear like a trooper
  • take to (like a duck to water)
  • tell it like it is
  • treat like dirt
  • turn up like a bad penny
  • wail like a banshee
  • watch like a hawk
  • work like a beaver
  • work like a charm
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.