liking

[ lahy-king ]
/ ˈlaɪ kɪŋ /

noun

preference, inclination, or favor: to show a liking for privacy.
pleasure or taste: much to his liking.
the state or feeling of a person who likes.

Origin of liking

before 900; Middle English; Old English līcung. See like2, -ing1

OTHER WORDS FROM liking

o·ver·lik·ing, noun self-lik·ing, adjective, noun un·der·lik·ing, noun

Words nearby liking

Definition for liking (2 of 2)

Origin of like

2
before 900; Middle English liken, Old English līcian; cognate with Dutch lijken, Old Norse līka; see like1

Example sentences from the Web for liking

British Dictionary definitions for liking (1 of 3)

liking
/ (ˈlaɪkɪŋ) /

noun

the feeling of a person who likes; fondness
a preference, inclination, or pleasure

British Dictionary definitions for liking (2 of 3)

Word Origin for like

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

usage for like

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)

British Dictionary definitions for liking (3 of 3)

like 2
/ (laɪk) /

verb

noun

(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

Idioms and Phrases with liking

like