FromMiddle Englishliknen(“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a substitute; to apply, be adapted or suitable; to tend (to sin)”)[and other forms],[1] fromliken(“to be comparable; to compare; to be appropriate; to form”),[2] fromlik(“alike, analogous, similar; appropriate, suitable; equal; homogeneous; identical, the same; indicative; likely (to be or do something), probable; possible; simultaneous; more or most like (?)”)[3] +-en(suffix forminginfinitives ofverbs).[4]Lik is derived fromOld Englishġelīċ(“like, similar”), fromProto-Germanic*galīkaz(“like, similar; equal”), ultimately fromProto-Indo-European*leyg-(“like, similar; even, level”). The English word is analysable aslike(adjective) +-en(suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to make [adjective]’).[5]
The physics teacherlikened the effect of mass on space to an indentation in a sheet of rubber.
1548 January 28 (Gregorian calendar),Hugh Latimer, “Sermon IV. By the Reverend Father in Christ Master Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester. Preached in the Shrouds at Paul’s Church in London the 18th Day of January, in the Year 1548.”, inThe Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester.[…], volume I, London:[…] J. Scott,[…], published1758,→OCLC,pages41–42:
And vvell may the preacher and plovvman belikened together: Firſt, for their labour in all ſeaſons of the year; for there is no time of the year in vvhich the ploughman hath not ſome ſpecial vvork to do.[…] And then they alſo may belikened together for the diverſity of vvorks, and variety of offices that they have to do.
The spelling has been modernized.
1566, Thomas Heskyns, “Proving All Our Sacramentes Generallie to be More Excellent then the Sacramentes ofMoyses”, inThe Parliament of Chryste Auouching and Declaring the Enacted and Receaued Trueth of the Presence of His Bodie and Bloode in the Blessed Sacrament,[…], Antwerp:[…] William Silvius[…],→OCLC,folio cclxxii, verso:
In this ſaing S.Auguſtinlikeneth the ſacramentes of the olde lavve in reſpect of the ſacramentes of the nevve lavve vnto childrens games, and our ſacramentes helikeneth to the thinges of more profett, vvhich are to be geuen to the ſonnes of God, vvhen they vvaxe of more age, knovvledge, and ripeneſſe.
He merited not the Abaſement; vve vvere vvorthy the Damnation. Ah, ah my good Sauiour! A Nethermoſt depth cannot ſincke me lovv enough, ſince thou ſtoop'ſt to a Footſtoole. Thoulikenedſt thee to me, I vvill compare me to Nothing:[…]
1667,John Milton, “Book I”, inParadise Lost.[…], London:[…] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker[…];[a]nd by Robert Boulter[…];[a]nd Matthias Walker,[…],→OCLC; republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books:[…], London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…],1873,→OCLC, lines484–486:
[T]he Rebel King / Doubl'd that ſin inBethel and inDan, /Lik'ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox,[…]
That our VVork, therefore, might be in no Danger of beinglikened to the Labours of theſe Hiſtorians, vve have taken every Occaſion of interſperſing through the vvhole ſundry Similes, Deſcriptions, and other kind of poetical Embelliſhments.
And the tufted isles which thoulikenedst to the isles that rise from the face of some still gleaming lake—these are the peaks of the northern hills and the tops of the mountain ranges of the north, standing above the suspended steam of their host.
Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developerlikened to an "explosion."
(also reflexive,rare)Chiefly followed byto: tomake (oneself, someone, or something)resemble another person or thing.
1838,Martin Farquhar Tupper, “Of Speaking”, inProverbial Philosophy: A Book of Thoughts and Arguments, Originally Treated, London: Joseph Rickerby,[…],→OCLC, stanza 1,page133:
Speech is reason's brother, and a kingly prerogative of man, / Thatlikeneth him to his Maker, who spake, and it was done.
2012, Claudia Hilker,Erfolgreiche Social-Media-Strategien für die Zukunft: Mehr Profit durch Facebook, Twitter, Xing und Co., Linde Verlag GmbH,→ISBN, page94:
Was Facebook-Userliken und warum Der Like-Button hat die Online-Welt wie kein zweites Element revolutioniert.
What Facebook userslike, and why the like button has revolutionised the online world like no other element.
Egal ob Sie etwas schreiben, kommentieren oderliken, tun Sie dies im Namen der Fanpage.
No matter whether you write something, comment, orlike, do this in the name of the fanpage.
2014, Markus Pfeifer,Facebook - Kommunikation und Interaktion mit dem Kunden: Eine Facebook-Marketing Analyse zu den Top 13 österreichischen Biermarken bezugnehmend auf die Interaktion und den Einfluss auf die Facebook Welt, Bachelor + Master Publication,→ISBN, page50:
Es wurde die Möglichkeit untersucht, ob ein Minderjähriger Facebook-User überhaupt die Befugnis hat bei den 13 auserwählten Bier Unternehmen deren Facebook-Seiten zuliken.
It was checked whether an underage Facebook user actually had the ability tolike the Facebook sites of the 13 selected beer companies.
2014, Wolfgang H. Weinrich,Der liebe Gott kommt nicht voran, unnumbered page:
Bin ich dann einer unter vielen und muss darauf warten, wer meine Follower sind und wer michliked oder gar linkt?
Am I then one among many, and must I pay attention to who my followers are and wholikes me or even links me?
2014, Katherine Womser,Wenn Fernsehen alleine nicht genug ist, page183:
Das war halt so wie man bei Facebook was postet und keiner antwortet und keinerliked das.
That was like if you posted something on Facebook and no-one answeres orlikes it.
2023 January 11, Paul Weinheimer, “Ausstellung „Flying Foxes“: Kapitalismuskritik mit Megayacht”, inDie Tageszeitung: taz[3],→ISSN:
Jeder Beitrag wird „gelikt“, danach wird weiter gewischt: Die Rolle der User*in übernimmt ein Bot, erlikt und scrollt.
Duden recommends conjugating the verb as if it were a standard Germanweak verb with the hypotheticalstemlik-.[1] However, irregular conjugations that preserve some or all of the features of English grammar, especially the terminale, are common.
liken (third-person singular simple presentliketh,present participlelikende,likynge,first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participleliked)
liken (third-person singular simple presentliketh,present participlelikende,likynge,first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participleliked)(rare)
, Oxford:Oxford University Press,July 2023;“liken,v.”, inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.