liking

L1I1K5I1N1G2
/ˈlaɪkɪŋ/

noun

A like; a predilection.

“goods bought on liking”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

liking1

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of like

liking2

nounliking (countable and uncountable, plural likings)

plural likings

  1. 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 Guardian
    1 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
  2. archaiccountableuncountableApproval.

    goods bought on liking

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna feeling of pleasure and enjoyment

Opposite
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

liking · verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*līkāną
  2. Proto-Germanic*līkāndz
  3. Old Englishlīciende
  4. Middle Englishlikinge
  5. 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.

Full word history & related roots →

liking · noun

  1. Old Englishlīcung“pleasing; pleasure; gratification; liking”
  2. Middle Englishlikinge
  3. Englishliking

From Middle English likinge, from Old English līcung (“pleasing; pleasure; gratification; liking”), equivalent to like + -ing.

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
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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