LIKEN
What does "LIKEN" mean?
To describe one thing as similar to another; to compare.
Meanings
- To point out a resemblance between two things; to compare (usually 'liken X to Y'). Critics likened her early style to that of a Renaissance painter.
Did you know?
- 'Liken' almost always takes the preposition 'to' - you liken something to another thing - which distinguishes it from 'like' and makes it one of English's few near-pure comparison verbs.
Word origin
From Middle English 'liknen', from 'lik', meaning 'alike' or 'similar' (related to Old English 'gelic'), plus the verb-forming suffix '-en'.
Remember it
LIKEN = 'like' + 'n': to make something 'like' another in the listener's mind.
A little poem
To liken is to lend one thing the other's light;
the comparison reveals what neither showed alone.
couplet
Wordplay
- I tried to liken my cooking to a five-star restaurant. The smoke alarm liked the comparison so much it applauded.
What it teaches
We understand the new only by likening it to the old; every fresh idea borrows an old shape first.
Quick facts
What does LIKEN mean?
To describe one thing as similar to another; to compare.
Is LIKEN a valid word?
Yes — LIKEN is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is LIKEN?
LIKEN has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does LIKEN come from?
From Middle English 'liknen', from 'lik', meaning 'alike' or 'similar' (related to Old English 'gelic'), plus the verb-forming suffix '-en'.
What can LIKEN teach us?
We understand the new only by likening it to the old; every fresh idea borrows an old shape first.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.