Meanings
comparative more likable · comparative likabler · superlative most likable · superlative likablest · alternative UK often likeable
- USoftenOf a person, having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable.
She's a naturally likable person, with lots of friends.
3 more examples
From the very moment that Judge Payne was introduced to his party he proved himself a likabler guide[.]
1938 February 24, “Judge Paine^([sic]) of Nebraska Supreme Court Addresses Dorchester Folks”, in The Dorchester Star, volume LIX, number 20, Dorchester, Neb., →OCLC, page [3], column 3Rendezvous of ’37. He was sashaying around nice as you please. A little green. But the likablest sort of fellow you’d ever want to see.
1959, John Harris, Margaret Harris, chapter 2, in Chant of the Hawk, New York, N.Y.: Popular Library, published 1962pages=24–25, →LCCN, →OCLC“[…] Seeing as you ain’t from farming stock I won’t tell what you done, […] but if it turns out you ain’t likable I’ll tell, so you just better be someone I can like.” / “Yes, ma’am. Most folks say I’m the likablest boy they ever met.”
1983, Greg Matthews, “Captured by Injuns—Amazing Revelations—[…]”, in The Further Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishers, →ISBN, page 191 - USoftenCapable of, or suitable for, being liked.
I often struggle the most when trying to decide on what to wear because I wanted people to like me. I believed that if the shirt was not likable by others then I was not likeable^([sic]).
2010, Grant Garris, Under the Red Velvet Cover, page 170
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian приятен, привлекателен
- приятен (prijaten)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- привлекателен (privlekatelen)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- приятен (prijaten)capable of being liked
- харесван (haresvan)capable of being liked
Chinese Mandarin 招人喜歡 /招人喜欢, 招人喜歡 /招人喜欢
- 招人喜歡 /招人喜欢 (zhāorén xǐhuān)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- 招人喜歡 /招人喜欢 (zhāorén xǐhuān)capable of being liked
Esperanto simpatia
- simpatiahaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Finnish miellyttävä, miellyttävä
- miellyttävähaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- miellyttäväcapable of being liked
French aimable, sympathique
- aimablehaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- sympathiquehaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- sympahaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
German liebenswert
- liebenswerthaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Hindi प्रिय, प्रिय
- प्रिय (priya)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- प्रिय (priya)capable of being liked
Hungarian rokonszenves, szimpatikus
- rokonszenveshaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- szimpatikushaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- szeretetre méltócapable of being liked
- kedvelhetőcapable of being liked
Irish taitneamhach
- taitneamhachhaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Italian simpatico, piacevole
- simpaticohaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- piacevolecapable of being liked
Japanese 好かれる, 好まれる
- 好かれる (sukareru)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- 好まれる (konomareru)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Norwegian Bokmål likendes, omgjengelig
- likendeshaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- omgjengelighaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Polish sympatyczny
- sympatycznyhaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Portuguese agradável
- agradávelcapable of being liked
Romanian simpatic, amabil
- simpatichaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- amabilhaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- plăcuthaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- plăcutcapable of being liked
- simpaticcapable of being liked
Russian ми́лый, прия́тный
- ми́лый (mílyj)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- прия́тный (prijátnyj)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- привлека́тельный (privlekátelʹnyj)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- симпати́чный (simpatíčnyj)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- располага́ющий (raspolagájuščij)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Scottish Gaelic tlachdmhor, tlachdmhor
- tlachdmhorhaving qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
- tlachdmhorcapable of being liked
Spanish agradable
- agradablecapable of being liked
Ukrainian симпати́чний
- симпати́чний (sympatýčnyj)having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Cite this entry
likable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable
“likable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “likable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable.
Source: likable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.