liking
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a feeling that you enjoy or prefer something.
a feeling of regard or fondness; a preference for something.
Simple“She has a strong liking for spicy food and eats it almost every day.”
In context“His sudden liking for classical music surprised his friends, as he had previously shown interest only in modern electronic genres.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the state of being exactly how you want something to be.
one's taste, pleasure, or satisfaction; almost exclusively used in the prepositional phrase 'to one's liking'.
Simple“The chef prepared the steak exactly to my liking.”
In context“The interior designer worked tirelessly to ensure every detail of the renovation was precisely to the client's liking.”
UsageUsually follows the preposition 'to' and a possessive adjective.
Synonyms
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.
From Middle English likinge, from Old English līcung (“pleasing; pleasure; gratification; liking”), equivalent to like + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.