likable

L1I1K5A1B3L1E1
/ˈlaɪkəbl̩/

adjective

Of a person, having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable.

“She's a naturally likable person, with lots of friends.”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

adjectivelikable (comparative more likable or likabler, superlative most likable or likablest)

comparative more likable · comparative likabler · superlative most likable · superlative likablest · alternative UK often likeable

  1. 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 3

    Rendezvous 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
  2. 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

Opposite

adjective(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings

adjectiveeasy to like; agreeable

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
APA

likable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable

MLA

“likable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “likable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/likable.

Source: likable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.