unlike
- 01 B1 Intermediate
prep.different from another person or thing.
prep.used to highlight a contrast between the subject and another entity.
Simple“Unlike her sister, who loves the city, Sarah prefers living in the countryside.”
In context“Unlike the previous administration, which prioritised short-term growth, the current cabinet has focused on long-term environmental sustainability.”
Synonymsin contrast todifferent fromAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
prep.not typical of a person's usual character or behaviour.
prep.indicates that a specific behaviour is uncharacteristic of the individual in question.
Simple“It was unlike him to be late for such an important meeting.”
In context“It is quite unlike the CEO to remain silent during a crisis, leading many to suspect she was unaware of the situation.”
Synonymsuncharacteristic ofAntonymstypical of - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.not looking or acting the same as something else.
adj.dissimilar in nature, quality, or appearance.
Simple“The two brothers have very unlike personalities despite their similar looks.”
In context“The researchers found that the two chemical compounds reacted in completely unlike ways when exposed to high temperatures.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to remove a 'like' you previously gave to a post on social media.
v.to retract a previous 'like' interaction on a digital platform.
Simple“I accidentally liked my ex's photo, so I had to quickly unlike it.”
In context“Users often unlike pages when the content becomes repetitive or no longer aligns with their personal interests.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of removing a 'like' from a social media post.
n.the specific instance or action of withdrawing a digital 'like'.
Simple“The celebrity noticed a sudden wave of unlikes after his controversial comment.”
In context“The marketing team tracked the number of unlikes to determine which advertising campaigns were alienating their core audience.”
Antonyms
unlike vs unlikely — Unlike compares two different things, while unlikely describes a low probability.
Usage unlike anything
From Middle English unlic, unlich, from Old English unlīċ, unġelīċ (“unlike, different, dissimilar, diverse”), from Proto-Germanic *ungalīkaz. By surface analysis, un- + like. Cognate with Dutch ongelijk, German ungleich, Old Norse úlíkr (see there for North Germanic descendants).
From Middle English unliken, unlyken, equivalent to un- + like.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.