dislike

1 of 2

noun

dis·​like (ˌ)dis-ˈlīk How to pronounce dislike (audio)
ˈdis-ˌlīk
plural dislikes
1
: a feeling of aversion or disapproval
2
obsolete : discord
3
: something that a person habitually does not like or enjoy
talking about his likes and dislikes

dislike

2 of 2

verb

disliked; disliking; dislikes

transitive verb

1
: to regard with dislike : disapprove
2
archaic : displease
3
obsolete : to show aversion to
disliker noun

Examples of dislike in a Sentence

Noun we have a strong dislike for olives and wouldn't eat them even if we were paid the public's general dislike of negative campaign ads Verb I dislike basketball, but I enjoy baseball. Most people dislike it when they are told what to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Will his intense dislike of Ah-jeong some day become love? Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Beijing has made abundantly clear its dislike of Lai. Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2024 Beijing has expressed its dislike for the DPP, which takes a stronger stance against China. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 13 Jan. 2024 Ji-han takes an immediate dislike to Ah-jeong and doesn’t want his older brother to marry her. Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The filing also described Soderstrom showing a dislike for state prosecutors while showing favor to the defendant and complimenting the defense attorney. Andy Rose, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 For those who have known Meadows for a long time, including those who harbor a powerful dislike of him, his air of breezy prosperity is not at all incongruent with the crisis that currently looms over him. Robert Draper, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 This may be a sign of our intense and increasing partisan polarization — particularly negative partisanship, in which partisan preferences are driven primarily by dislike of the opposing party. Monica Potts, ABC News, 1 Feb. 2024 In a silent protest of the current state of affairs — at 27-50 Miami has the worst record in baseball — a black ribbon snakes around her arm, a sign of her dislike of the owner. Chabeli Herrera, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Verb
Still, some dislike the changes because the model will also slow traffic, a tactic used by planners to reduce high speeds often associated with deadly crashes. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Magnesium serving: 350 mg magnesium citrate Type: Powder Pros: Available in unflavored, orange, and raspberry lemon; dissolves easily Cons: Some customers dislike the taste. Perri Ormont Blumberg, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2024 Unhappy Voters: With the election set to be a rematch between Biden and Trump, a small but decisive group of voters who strongly dislike both candidates could swing the race. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 These North American amphibians, which spend most of their time hibernating underground, dislike being threatened. Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 But Republican senators, who already disliked AB 257 and AB 1228, used the Panera news as an opportunity to attempt to shoot down and criticize Holden’s most recent bill, even though several voted in favor of the measure during earlier committee hearings. Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 The film follows the life of Charles Edward Chipping (Robert Donat), an English schoolteacher who, over the course of 60 years, goes from a strict, disliked Latin teacher to a beloved fixture at the school. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Regardless of whatever else people like or dislike about it, just the sort of fizzing energy beneath the skin of everything. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 But what’s clear is Americans are becoming more likely to personally dislike those who hold different political opinions from their own, rather than just disagreeing on the issues. Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dislike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dislike was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near dislike

Cite this Entry

“Dislike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislike. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dislike

1 of 2 noun
dis·​like (ˈ)dis-ˈlīk How to pronounce dislike (audio)
: a strong feeling of not liking or approving

dislike

2 of 2 verb
: to feel dislike for

More from Merriam-Webster on dislike

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