# liking

/ˈɫaɪkɪŋ/ (US) · /lˈaɪkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/liking
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. preference or fondness

noun · CEFR B1

a feeling that you enjoy or prefer something.

For teachers: a feeling of regard or fondness; a preference for something.

- She has a strong liking for spicy food and eats it almost every day.
- His sudden liking for classical music surprised his friends, as he had previously shown interest only in modern electronic genres.

### 2. satisfaction or taste

noun · CEFR B2

the state of being exactly how you want something to be.

For teachers: one's taste, pleasure, or satisfaction; almost exclusively used in the prepositional phrase 'to one's liking'.

- The chef prepared the steak exactly to my liking.
- The interior designer worked tirelessly to ensure every detail of the renovation was precisely to the client's liking.

Usage: Usually follows the preposition 'to' and a possessive adjective.

## Examples

- She has a strong liking for spicy food.
- The chef prepared the steak exactly to the customer's liking, ensuring it was perfectly medium-rare.
- While he developed a liking for the local architecture, he found the humid climate of the coastal city difficult to endure during the summer months.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.