different between like vs comparative
like
English
Alternative forms
- lak
Pronunciation
- enPR: l?k, IPA(key): /la?k/
- Rhymes: -a?k
Etymology 1
Verb from Middle English liken, from Old English l?cian (“to please; be sufficient”), from Proto-West Germanic *l?k?n, from Proto-Germanic *l?k?n? (“to please”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“image; likeness; similarity”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian liekje (“to be similar, resemble”), Dutch lijken (“to seem”), German Low German lieken (“to be like; resemble”), German gleichen (“to resemble”), Swedish lika (“to like; put up with; align with”), Norwegian like (“to like”), Icelandic líka (“to like”).
Noun from Middle English like (“pleasure, will, like”), from the verb Middle English liken (“to like”).
Verb
like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle liking, simple past and past participle liked)
- To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
- Antonyms: dislike, hate, mislike
- He may either go or stay, as he best likes.
- (transitive, archaic) To please.
- (obsolete) To derive pleasure of, by or with someone or something.
- To prefer and maintain (an action) as a regular habit or activity.
- (obsolete) To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition).
- (archaic) To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly.
- To find attractive; to prefer the company of; to have mild romantic feelings for.
- Synonyms: (British) fancy, enjoy, love
- Antonyms: dislike, hate, mislike
- (obsolete) To liken; to compare.
- (Internet, transitive) To show support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet by marking it with a vote.
- Antonyms: unlike, dislike
- (with 'would' and in certain other phrases) To want, desire. See also would like.
Usage notes
- In its senses of “enjoy” and “maintain as a regular habit”, like is a catenative verb; in the former, it usually takes a gerund (-ing form), while in the latter, it takes a to-infinitive. See also Appendix:English catenative verbs.
- Like is only used to mean “want” in certain expressions, such as “if you like” and “I would like”. The conditional form, would like, is used quite freely as a polite synonym for want.
Conjugation
Derived terms
Related terms
- like like
- would like
Translations
Noun
like (plural likes)
- (usually in the plural) Something that a person likes (prefers).
- Synonyms: favorite, preference
- Antonyms: dislike, pet hate, pet peeve
- (Internet) An individual vote showing support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet.
Translations
References
- like on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2
Adjective from Middle English like, lyke, from Old English ?el?? by shortening, influenced by Old Norse líkr, glíkr; both from Proto-Germanic *gal?kaz (“like, similar, same”). Related to alike; more distantly, with lich and -ly. Cognate with West Frisian like (“like; as”), Saterland Frisian gliek (“like”), Danish lig (“alike”), Dutch gelijk (“like, alike”), German gleich (“equal, like”), Icelandic líkur (“alike, like, similar”), Norwegian lik (“like, alike”) Swedish lik (“like, similar”)
Adverb from Middle English like, lyke, liche, lyche, from Old English ?el??e (“likewise, also, as, in like manner, similarly”) and Old Norse líka (“also, likewise”); both from Proto-Germanic *gal?kê, from Proto-Germanic *gal?kaz (“same, like, similar”).
Conjunction from Middle English like, lyke, lik, lyk, from the adverb Middle English like.
Preposition from Middle English like, lyke, liche, lyche, lijc, liih (“similar to, like, equal to, comparable with”), from Middle English like (adjective) and like (adverb).
Adjective
like (comparative more like, superlative most like)
- Similar.
- 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. 3, Landlord Edmund
- […] and this is not a sky, it is a Soul and living Face! Nothing liker the Temple of the Highest, bright with some real effulgence of the Highest, is seen in this world.
- 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. 3, Landlord Edmund
- (obsolete) Likely; probable.
- 1668, Robert South, The Messiah's Sufferings for the Sins of the People (sermon, March 20, 1668)
- But it is like the jolly world about us will scoff at the paradox of these practices.
- 1668, Robert South, The Messiah's Sufferings for the Sins of the People (sermon, March 20, 1668)
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Related terms
- as like as not
Translations
Adverb
like (comparative more like, superlative most like)
- (obsolete, colloquial) Likely.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 3
- DON PEDRO. May be she doth but counterfeit.
- CLAUDIO. Faith, like enough. [= Indeed, quite likely.]
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 3
- (archaic or rare) In a like or similar manner.
- Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Noun
like (countable and uncountable, plural likes)
- (sometimes as the likes of) Someone similar to a given person, or something similar to a given object; a comparative; a type; a sort.
- 1935, Winston Churchill on T.E. Lawrence
- We shall never see his like again.
- 1935, Winston Churchill on T.E. Lawrence
- (golf) The stroke that equalizes the number of strokes played by the opposing player or side.
Synonyms
- ilk
Antonyms
- antithesis, opposite
Derived terms
- like-for-like
Translations
Conjunction
like
- (colloquial) As, the way.
- 1966, Advertising slogan for Winston cigarettes
- Winston tastes good like a cigarette should
- 1978, "Do Unto Others" by Bob Dylan
- But if you do right to me, baby
- I’ll do right to you, too
- Ya got to do unto others
- Like you’d have them, like you’d have them, do unto you
- 1966, Advertising slogan for Winston cigarettes
- As if; as though.
Usage notes
- The American Heritage Dictionary opines that using like as a conjunction, instead of as, the way, as if, or as though, is informal; it has, however, been routine since the Middle English period. AHD4 says "Writers since Chaucer's time have used like as a conjunction, but 19th-century and 20th-century critics have been so vehement in their condemnations of this usage that a writer who uses the construction in formal style risks being accused of illiteracy or worse", and recommends using as in formal speech and writing. OED does not tag it as colloquial or nonstandard, but notes, "Used as conj[unction]: = 'like as', as. Now generally condemned as vulgar or slovenly, though examples may be found in many recent writers of standing."
Derived terms
- feel like, look like, seem like, sound like
Preposition
like
- Similar to, reminiscent of.
- Typical of
- It would be just like Achilles to be sulking in his tent.
- Approximating
- Popcorn costs something like $10 dollars at the movies.
- In the manner of, similarly to.
- He doesn't act like a president.
- Such as
- It's for websites like Wikipedia.
- As if there would be.
- It looks like a hot summer in Europe.
Synonyms
- (such as): for example, such as, (archaic) as
Antonyms
- unlike
Derived terms
- like a bull at a gate
Translations
Particle
like
- (colloquial, Scotland, Ireland, Tyneside, Teesside, Liverpudlian) A delayed filler.
- (colloquial) A mild intensifier.
- 1972, Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts, December 1:
- [Sally Brown:] Christmas is getting all you can get while the getting is good.
[Charlie Brown:] GIVING! The only real joy is GIVING!
[Sally Brown, rolling her eyes:] Like, wow!
- [Sally Brown:] Christmas is getting all you can get while the getting is good.
- 1972, Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts, December 1:
- (colloquial) indicating approximation or uncertainty
- (colloquial, slang) When preceded by any form of the verb to be, used to mean “to say” or “to think”; used to precede an approximate quotation or paraphrase.
- 2006, Lily Allen, Knock 'Em Out
- You're just doing your own thing and some one comes out the blue,
- They're like, "Alright"
- What ya saying, "Yeah can I take your digits?"
- And you're like, "no not in a million years, you're nasty please leave me alone."
- 2006, Lily Allen, Knock 'Em Out
Synonyms
- (delayed filler): I mean, you know
- (mild intensifier): I mean, well, you know
- (indicating approximation or uncertainty): I mean, well, you know
- (colloquial: used to precede paraphrased quotations): be all, go
Usage notes
The use as a quotative is informal. It is commonly used by young people, and commonly disliked by older generations, especially in repeated use. It may be combined with the use of the present tense as a narrative. Similar terms are to go and all, as in I go, “Why did you do that?” and he goes, “I don't know” and I was all, “Why did you do that?” and he was all, “I don't know.” These expressions can imply that the attributed remark which follows is representative rather than necessarily an exact quotation; however, in speech these structures do tend to require mimicking the original speaker's inflection in a way said would not.
Excessive use of "like" as a meaningless filler is widely criticised.
Translations
Interjection
like
- (Liverpudlian, Tyneside) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.
Etymology 3
From like (adverb) and like (adjective).
Verb
like (third-person singular simple present likes, present participle liking, simple past and past participle liked)
- (chiefly dialectal, intransitive) To be likely.
References
- A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, ?ISBN
- like at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- Kiel, Kile, kile, liek
Danish
Etymology
Borrowed from English like.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [l?j??]
Noun
like n (singular definite liket, plural indefinite likes)
- (Internet) like
Verb
like (imperative like, infinitive at like, present tense liker, past tense likede, perfect tense har liket)
- (Internet) like
French
Pronunciation
- Homophones: likent, likes
Verb
like
- first-person singular present indicative of liker
- third-person singular present indicative of liker
- first-person singular present subjunctive of liker
- third-person singular present subjunctive of liker
- second-person singular imperative of liker
German
Verb
like
- inflection of liken:
- first-person singular present
- first/third-person singular subjunctive I
- singular imperative
Hawaiian
Etymology
From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *lite. Compare Maori rite.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?li.ke/, [?like]
Verb
like
- (stative) like, alike, similar
Derived terms
- ho?olike: to make things equal, to make things similar (less common)
- ho?oh?like: to make things equal, to make things similar (more common)
References
- “like” in the Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised and Enlarged Edition, University of Hawaii Press, 1986
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Old Norse líka
Verb
like (imperative lik, present tense liker, simple past likte, past participle likt)
- to like
Etymology 2
Adjective
like
- definite singular of lik
- plural of lik
Etymology 3
Adverb
like
- as, equally
Derived terms
- likefullt, like fullt
- likeledes
- likeså
References
- “like” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /²li?k?/
Etymology 1
From Old Norse líka
Alternative forms
- lika
Verb
like (imperative lik or like, present tense likar or liker, simple past lika or likte, past participle lika or likt)
- to like
Etymology 2
Adjective
like
- definite singular of lik
- plural of lik
Etymology 3
From Old Norse líka
Adverb
like
- as, equally
- just, immediately
References
- “like” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Scots
Etymology
From Old English l?cian (“to be pleasing”)
Verb
like (third-person singular present likes, present participle likin, past likit, past participle likit)
- To like.
- To be hesitant to do something.
- To love somebody or something.
Adverb
like (not comparable)
- like
Interjection
like
- (South Scots) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.
Spanish
Etymology
From English like.
Noun
like m (plural likes)
- (Internet slang) like
Swedish
Adjective
like
- absolute definite natural masculine form of lik.
Noun
like c
- match (someone similarly skillful)
Declension
like From the web:
- what like it's hard
- what like it's hard meme
- what like charges do
- what likewise mean
- what like it's hard quote
- what likely explains the poor standing
- what like it's hard legally blonde
- what like terms
comparative
English
Etymology
From Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparativus, equivalent to comparatus, from comparare (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -ivus.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /k?m?pæ?.?.t?v/
- (General American) enPR: k?m?p?r-?-t?v
- (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA(key): /k?m?pæ?.?.t?v/
- (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /k?m?p??.?.t?v/
- (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
- (Mary–marry–merry merger)
- Hyphenation: com?par?a?tive
Adjective
comparative (comparative more comparative, superlative most comparative)
- Of or relating to comparison.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- 1773, James Burnett, Of the Origin and Progress of Language
- that kind of animals that have the comparative faculty, by which they compare things together, deliberate and resolve
- Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it.
- Approximated by comparison; relative.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- The recurrence of comparative warmth and cold.
- 1692, Richard Bentley, A Confutation of Atheism
- This bubble, […] by reason of its comparative levity to the fluid that encloses it, would necessarily ascend to the top.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- (obsolete) Comparable; bearing comparison.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:
- And need he had of slumber yet, for none / Had suffered more—his hardships were comparative / To those related in my grand-dad's Narrative.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
comparative (plural comparatives)
- (grammar) A construction showing a relative quality, in English usually formed by adding more or appending -er. For example, the comparative of green is greener; of evil, more evil.
- (grammar) A word in the comparative form.
- (chiefly in the plural) Data used to make a comparison.
- (obsolete) An equal; a rival; a compeer.
- Gerrard ever was / His full comparative.
- (obsolete) One who makes comparisons; one who affects wit.
- 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Pt. 1, III.ii.67:
- Every beardless vain comparative.
- 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Pt. 1, III.ii.67:
Synonyms
- (grammar: degree): comparative degree
Translations
Related terms
- absolute, absolute superlative, relative superlative, comparative superlative
- degrees of comparison
- superlative
See also
- contrastive
References
- “comparative”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, ?ISBN
- “comparative” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- "comparative" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
Anagrams
- vampire taco
French
Adjective
comparative
- feminine singular of comparatif
Italian
Adjective
comparative
- feminine plural of comparativo
Anagrams
- comparivate
- crepitavamo
Latin
Adjective
compar?t?ve
- vocative masculine singular of compar?t?vus
References
- comparative in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
comparative From the web:
- what comparative adjective
- what comparative advantage
- what comparative and superlative adjectives
- what comparative means
- what comparative government
- what comparative degree
- what comparative and superlative
- what comparative religion
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