LIKE


Meaning of LIKE in English

I. ˈlīk verb

( liked ; lik·ing )

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English līcian; akin to Old English gelīc alike

Date: before 12th century

transitive verb

1. chiefly dialect : to be suitable or agreeable to

I like onions but they don't like me

2.

a. : to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in : enjoy

like s baseball

b. : to feel toward : regard

how would you like a change

3. : to wish to have : want

would like a drink

4. : to do well in

this plant like s dry soil

my car does not like cold weather

intransitive verb

1. dialect : approve

2. : to feel inclined : choose , prefer

leave any time you like

II. noun

Date: 1851

1. : liking , preference

2. : something that one likes

III. adjective

Etymology: Middle English, alteration of ilich, from Old English gelīc like, alike, from ge-, associative prefix + līc body; akin to Old High German gilīh like, alike, Lithuanian lygus like — more at co-

Date: 13th century

1.

a. : the same or nearly the same (as in appearance, character, or quantity)

suits of like design

— formerly used with as, unto, of

it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren — Hebrews 2:17(Authorized Version)

b. chiefly British : closely resembling the subject or original

the portrait is very like

2. : likely

the importance of statistics as the one discipline like to give accuracy of mind — H. J. Laski

IV. preposition

Date: 13th century

1.

a. : having the characteristics of : similar to

his house is like a barn

it's like when we were kids

b. : typical of

was like him to do that

c. : comparable to : approximating

costs something like fifty cents

2. : in the manner of : similarly to

acts like a fool

3. : as though there would be

looks like rain

4. : such as

a subject like physics

5. — used to form intensive or ironic phrases

fought like hell

like fun he did

laughed like anything

V. noun

Date: 13th century

1.

a. : one that is similar : counterpart , equal

have…never seen the like before — Sir Winston Churchill

b. : kind 4a — usually used with a preceding possessive

put him and his like to some job — J. R. R. Tolkien

2. : one of many that are similar to each other — used chiefly in proverbial expressions

like breeds like

- and the like

- the likes of

VI. adverb

Date: 14th century

1. archaic : equally

2. : likely , probably

you'll try it, some day, like enough — Mark Twain

3.

a. : to some extent : rather , altogether

saunter over nonchalantly like — Walter Karig

b. — used interjectionally in informal speech often to emphasize a word or phrase (as in “He was, like, gorgeous”) or for an apologetic, vague, or unassertive effect (as in “I need to, like, borrow some money”)

4. : nearly : approximately

the actual interest is more like 18 percent

— used interjectionally in informal speech with expressions of measurement

it was, like , five feet long

goes there every day, like

- as like as not

VII. conjunction

Date: 14th century

1.

a. : as if

middle-aged men who looked like they might be out for their one night of the year — Norman Mailer

b. — used in intensive phrases

drove like mad

hurts like crazy

2. : in the same way that : as

they raven down scenery like children do sweetmeats — John Keats

3.

a. : in the way or manner that

the violin sounds like an old masterpiece should

did it like you told me

b. — used interjectionally in informal speech often with the verb be to introduce a quotation, paraphrase, or thought expressed by or imputed to the subject of the verb, or with it's to report a generally held opinion

so I'm like , “Give me a break”

it's like , “Who cares what he thinks?”

4. : such as

a bag like a doctor carries

when your car has trouble — like when it won't start

— used interjectionally in informal speech

often stays up late, until like three in the morning

Usage:

Like has been used as a conjunction since the 14th century. In the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries it was used in serious literature, but not often; in the 17th and 18th centuries it grew more frequent but less literary. It became markedly more frequent in literary use again in the 19th century. By mid-century it was coming under critical fire, but not from grammarians, oddly enough, who were wrangling over whether it could be called a preposition or not. There is no doubt that, after 600 years of use, conjunctive like is firmly established. It has been used by many prestigious literary figures of the past, though perhaps not in their most elevated works; in modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly writing. While the present objection to it is perhaps more heated than rational, someone writing in a formal prose style may well prefer to use as, as if, such as, or an entirely different construction instead.

VIII. verbal auxiliary

or liked ˈlīkt

Date: 15th century

chiefly dialect : came near : was near

so loud I like to fell out of bed — Helen Eustis

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.