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like

1 [lahyk]

adjective, (Poetic

) lik⋅er, lik⋅est, preposition, adverb, conjunction, noun, verb, liked, lik⋅ing, interjection

–adjective

1.	of the same form, appearance, kind, character, amount, etc.: I cannot remember a like instance.

2.	corresponding or agreeing in general or in some noticeable respect; similar; analogous: drawing, painting, and like arts.

3.	bearing resemblance.

4.	Dialect. likely: 'Tis like that he's gone mad.

5.	Dialect. about: The poor chap seemed like to run away.

–preposition

6.	in like manner with; similarly to; in the manner characteristic of: He works like a beaver.

7.	resembling (someone or something): He is just like his father. Your necklace is just like mine.

8.	characteristic of: It would be like him to forget our appointment.

9.	as if there is promise of; indicative of: It looks like rain.

10.	as if someone or something gives promise of being: She looks like a good prospect for the job.

11.	disposed or inclined to (usually prec. by feel): to feel like going to bed.

12.	similar or comparable to: There is nothing like a cold drink of water when one is thirsty. What was he like?

13.	(used correlatively to indicate similarity through relationship): like father, like son.

14.	(used to establish an intensifying, often facetious, comparison): sleeping like a log.

15.	as; such as: There are numerous hobbies you might enjoy, like photography or painting.

–adverb

16.	nearly; closely; approximately: The house is more like 40 than 20 years old.

17.	Informal. likely or probably: Like enough he'll come with us. Like as not her leg is broken.

18.

Nonstandard.

a.	as it were; in a way; somehow.

b.	to a degree; more or less: standing against the wall, looking very tough like.

–conjunction

19.	in the same way as; just as; as: It happened like you might expect it would.

20.	as if: He acted like he was afraid. The car runs like new.

21.	Informal. (used esp. after forms of be to introduce reported speech or thought): She's like, "I don't believe it," and I'm like, "No, it's true!"

–noun

22.	a similar or comparable person or thing, or like persons or things; counterpart, match, or equal (usually prec. by a possessive adjective or the): No one has seen his like in a long time. Like attracts like.

23.	kind; sort; type; ilk (usually prec. by a possessive adjective): I despise moochers and their like.

24.	the like, something of a similar nature: They grow oranges, lemons, and the like.

–interjection

25.	Informal. (used esp. in speech, often nonvolitionally or habitually, to preface a sentence, to fill a pause, to express uncertainty, or to intensify or neutralize a following adjective): Like, why didn't you write to me? The music was, like, really great, you know?

—Idioms

26.	like anything, Informal. very much; extremely; with great intensity: He wanted like anything to win.

27.	like to or liked to, South Midland and Southern U.S. was on the verge of or came close to (doing something): The poor kid like to froze.

28.	something like, Informal. something approaching or approximating: It looked something like this.

29.	the like or likes of, someone or something similar to; the equal of: I've never seen the like of it anywhere.

Origin:
1150–1200; ME lic, lik < ON līkr; r. OE gelīc, c. D gelijk, G gleich, ON glīkr, Goth galeiks like, lit., of the same body or form. See y-, lich

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

like

2 [lahyk]

verb, liked, lik⋅ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

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.

–verb (used without object)

4.	to feel inclined; wish: We'll have lunch whenever you like.

5.	Archaic. to suit the tastes or wishes; please.

–noun

6.	Usually, likes. the things a person likes: a long list of likes and dislikes.

—Idiom

7.	would like. would (def. 10).

Origin:
bef. 900; ME liken, OE līcian; c. D lijken, ON līka; see like ¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source

like¹   (līk) Pronunciation Key
v.   liked, lik·ing, likes

v.   tr.

To find pleasant or attractive; enjoy.
To want to have: would like some coffee.
To feel about; regard: How do you like her nerve!
Archaic To be pleasing to.

v. intr.

To have an inclination or a preference: If you like, we can meet you there.
Scots To be pleased.

n. Something that is liked; a preference: made a list of his likes and dislikes.

[Middle English liken, from Old English līcian, to please; see līk- in Indo-European roots.]

like³ (līk) Pronunciation Key
aux.v. Chiefly Southern U.S.
Used with a past infinitive or with to and a simple past form to indicate being just on the point of or coming near to having done something in the past: "I like to a split a gut laughin'." "It seemed as how nobody had thought about measurin' the width of the bridge's openin', and we like to didn't make it through" (Dictionary of American Regional English).

[Middle English liken, to compare, from like, similar; see like².]

Our Living Language : In certain Southern varieties of American English there are two grammatically distinct usages of the word like to mean "was on the verge of." In both, either like or liked is possible. In the first, the word is followed by a past infinitive: We liked (or like) to have drowned. The ancestor of this construction was probably the adjective like in the sense "likely, on the verge of," as in She's like to get married again. The adjective was reinterpreted by some speakers as a verb, and since like to and liked to are indistinguishable in normal speech, the past tense came to be marked on the following infinitive for clarity. From this developed a second way of expressing the same concept: the use of like to with a following finite past-tense verb form, as in I like to died when I saw that. This construction appears odd at first because it ostensibly contains an ungrammatical infinitive to died; but that is not the case at all. What has happened is that like to here has been reinterpreted as an adverb meaning almost. In fact, it is quite common to see the phrase spelled as a single word, in the pronunciation spelling liketa.

liked
adjective
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form; "a well-liked teacher" [ant: disliked]

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