English Reference

Phrasal verb

sound like sb/sth

Definition

phrasal verb. to seem like a particular person or thing because of what you hear or read.

phrasal verb. to convey a specific impression or identity through auditory cues or written tone; functions as a copular-like phrasal verb followed by a noun phrase.

Examples

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“You sound like your father when you talk about politics.”

“The initial reports sound like a classic case of corporate mismanagement, though we must wait for the full audit before drawing conclusions.”

Examples

simple

“That sounds like a great idea.”

contextual

“You sound like your father when you talk about politics.”

complex

“The initial reports sound like a classic case of corporate mismanagement, though we must wait for the full audit before drawing conclusions.”

Usage

the object can be a person, a thing, or an entire situation described by a noun.

Teaching tip

distinguish between the literal auditory sense (hearing a voice) and the figurative sense (evaluating an idea or situation based on a description).

Pitfall

It sounds like funly.

It sounds like fun.

the preposition 'like' must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase, not an adverb.

Phrasal verb

Particles

like

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

sound + like + object

Synonyms

seem likeappear to beresemblesuggest

Antonyms

differ from

Grammar

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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English Reference