- used in very informal speech, for example when you are thinking what to say next, explaining something, or giving an example of something
- It was, like, weird.
- It was kind of scary, like.
- It's really hard. Like I have no time for my own work.
Definitions on the go
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- used in very informal speech to show that what you are saying may not be exactly right but is nearly so
- I'm leaving in like twenty minutes.
- It's going to cost like a hundred dollars.
- I’m, he’s, she’s, etc. like used in very informal speech, to mean ‘I say’, ‘he/she says’, etc.
- And then I'm like ‘No Way!’
- used in informal speech instead of as to say that something happens in the same way
- There was silence, but not like before.
Which Word? as / likeas / likeYou can use both as and like to say that things are similar.- Like is a preposition and is used before nouns and pronouns:
- He has blue eyes like me.
- As is a conjunction and an adverb and is used before a clause, another adverb or a clause beginning with a preposition:
- She enjoys all kinds of music, as I do.
- As ever, he was friendly and helpful.
- Repeat these five steps, as in the last exercise.
- In informal English like is frequently used as a conjunction or an adverb instead of as:
- Nobody understands him like I do.
- I don’t want to upset him again like before.
- It looks like we’re going to be late.
Word Originadverb Middle English: from Old Norse líkr; related to alike.
Idioms
See like in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary(as) like as not
(also like enough, most/very like)
- (old-fashioned) quite probably
- She would be in bed by now, as like as not.
Check pronunciation:
like