Meaning & use
like
Last updated
Meanings
preposition
Similar to someone or something; having the same qualities or characteristics.
Grammar: Used before a noun or pronoun: like me, like this.
Patterns
- like someone/something
- look like someone/something
- like this/that
She looks like her mother.
This fabric feels like silk.
He swims like a fish.
verbtransitive
To find someone or something pleasant, enjoyable, or agreeable.
Grammar: Takes an object: I like pizza. Can be followed by a gerund or infinitive: I like swimming / I like to swim.
Patterns
- like someone/something
- like doing something
- like to do something
I like chocolate.
She likes reading before bed.
Do you like to travel?
conjunctioninformal
In the same way as; as if.
Grammar: Often used informally to mean 'as' or 'as if': Do it like I do.
Patterns
- like someone/something does
- like someone/something is
Do it like I showed you.
She acted like she didn't care.
He talks like he knows everything.
Word forms
| third person singular | likes |
|---|---|
| past tense | liked |
| past participle | liked |
| -ing form | liking |
Common combinations
- like this
- Hold it like this.
- look like
- It looks like rain.
- feel like
- I feel like a cup of tea.
- like crazy
- They were running like crazy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- similar to
- More formal and often used in writing; 'like' is more common in speech.
- enjoy
- Used for activities and experiences; 'like' is more general and can be used for things and people.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: like or as?
like vs as
As is a conjunction or preposition used in comparisons; like is a preposition meaning 'similar to'. In formal writing, use 'as' before a clause: as I said, not like I said.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'like' correctly as a preposition?
Choose one answer.
As a preposition, 'like' is followed by a noun or pronoun, not a clause. Sentence 0 follows this rule. Sentences 1, 2, and 3 use 'like' as a conjunction before a clause, which is common in informal speech but not strictly correct as a preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “like”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.