Meanings
liking1
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of like
liking2
plural likings
- countableuncountableA like; a predilection.
The Ivorian is a player with such a liking for improvisation it does not usually look like he has any more idea than anyone else what he is going to do next, so it was an interesting choice.
2012 September 15, Amy Lawrence, “Arsenal's Gervinho enjoys the joy of six against lowly Southampton”, in the Guardian1 more example
The likings and dislikings of society, or of some powerful portion of it, are thus the main thing which has practically determined the rules laid down for general observance, under the penalties of law or opinion.
1859, John Stuart Mill, “Introductory”, in On Liberty, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], →OCLC, page 17
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
liking · verb
- Proto-Germanic*līkāną
- Proto-Germanic*līkāndz
- Old Englishlīciende
- Middle Englishlikinge
- Englishliking
From Middle English likinge, likinde, likende, likande, licande, from Old English līciende, līciġende, from Proto-Germanic *līkāndz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *līkāną, equivalent to like + -ing.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →liking · noun
- Old Englishlīcung“pleasing; pleasure; gratification; liking”
- Middle Englishlikinge
- Englishliking
From Middle English likinge, from Old English līcung (“pleasing; pleasure; gratification; liking”), equivalent to like + -ing.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian привлекателност, симпатия
- привлекателност (privlekatelnost)like, predilection
- симпатия (simpatija)like, predilection
- склонност (sklonnost)like, predilection
Chinese Mandarin 愛好 /爱好, 趣味
- 愛好 /爱好 (àihào)like, predilection
- 趣味 (qùwèi)like, predilection
- 喜愛 /喜爱 (xǐ'ài)like, predilection
Dutch genot
- genotlike, predilection
Finnish mieltymys
- mieltymyslike, predilection
French goût, sympathie
- goûtlike, predilection
- sympathielike, predilection
German Geschmack, Interesse
- Geschmacklike, predilection
- Interesselike, predilection
- Neigunglike, predilection
- Sympathielike, predilection
- Vorliebelike, predilection
- Zuneigunglike, predilection
Hungarian ízlés, kedv
- ízléslike, predilection
- kedvlike, predilection
- tetszéslike, predilection
Japanese 好み
- 好み (konomi)like, predilection
Portuguese gosto
- gostolike, predilection
Romanian plac
- placlike, predilection
Russian любо́вь, предрасполо́женность
- любо́вь (ljubóvʹ)like, predilection
- предрасполо́женность (predraspolóžennostʹ)like, predilection
- пристра́стие (pristrástije)like, predilection
- симпа́тия (simpátija)like, predilection
- скло́нность (sklónnostʹ)like, predilection
- вкус (vkus)like, predilection
Spanish agrado, agradamiento
- agradolike, predilection
- agradamientolike, predilection
- gustolike, predilection
Swedish tycke
- tyckelike, predilection
Tagalog sarap
- saraplike, predilection
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with liking
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
liking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liking
“liking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liking. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “liking,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liking.
Source: liking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.