Dictionary

mislike en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /(ˌ)mɪsˈlaɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌmɪsˈlaɪk/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English misliken (“to displease, offend; to disturb mentally, peturb; to dislike, find distasteful; to be unpleasant; to be displeased, dissatisfied, or unhappy; to feel sorry for (someone’s misfortune); of fruit or a tree: to fail to flourish”) [and other forms], from Old English mislīcian (“to displease; to disquiet”), from mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’, or indicating a failure or lack) + līcian (“to like; to appeal to, please”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“like, similar; even, level”)). The English word is analysable as mis- + like. Cognates * Middle Dutch mislīken * Middle Low German mislīken * Old High German misselīchēn (“to displease”) (Middle High German misselīchen) * Old Norse mislíka (Icelandic mislíka (“to dislike”)) * Old Swedish mislika (modern Swedish misslika)

Meanings

1. (transitive) To disapprove of or dislike (someone or something); to have an aversion to.
   • And she found she didn't mislike him any longer, she felt queer and strange to him, not feared, but as though he was to say something in a moment that she knew she couldn't answer. 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon [pseudonym; James Leslie Mitchell], “Seed-time”, in Sunset Song, New York, N.Y.: Schocken Books, published 1981, →ISBN, page 103:
   • [Prince of] Moroc[co]. Miſlike me not for my complexion, / The ſhadowed liuery of the burniſht ſunne, / To vvhom I am a neighbour, and neere bred. / Bring me the faireſt creature North-vvard borne, / VVhere Phœbus fire ſcarce thavves the yſicles, / And let vs make inciſion for your loue, / To proue vvhoſe blood is reddeſt, his or mine. c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
   • Yet, as to the now-preſent relationſhip of the literary laity to theological principles, and to Chriſtianity, ſomething may be ſaid—all proprieties duly regarded—or ſuch proprieties as are due from one writer toward others of the literary guild, who may like, or miſlike, what he ſays. 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Essay IV. Lay Theologians.”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy […], →OCLC, section II, page 250:
   • VVhat he liketh or miſliketh, it maketh not much Matter. For he miſliketh the Goſpel, true Religion, and theſe our Times. But he ought of right, moſt of all to miſlike himſelf. 1709, John Strype, “The Bishop of Worcester’s Vindication of Himself against Sir John Bourne, before the Privy Council. Bourne’s Imprisonment and Submission. [An Answer to a Declaration of Sir John Bourne, Kt. which He Hath Made to My Answer Uttered before Your Honours. The Said Declaration being Indeed a New and Untrue Accusation.]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume I, London: […] John Wyat, […], →OCLC, page 358:
   • VVell; he is a very handſome, vvell-accompliſh'd, vvell-bred Gentleman; ſhe cannot miſlike him; he is a moſt agreeable young Gentleman I aſſure you. 1722, [Daniel Defoe], “Part I. Dialogue I.”, in Religious Courtship: Being Historical Discourses on the Necessity of Marrying Religious Husbands and Wives Only. […], London: […] E[manuel] Matthews, […], and A. Bettesworth, […]; J. Brotherton, and W. Meadows, […], →OCLC, page 10:
   • With that he leaned forward, and spoke to his mare—she was just of the tint of a strawberry, a young thing, very beautiful—and she arched up her neck, as misliking the job; yet, trusting him, would attempt it. 1869, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, “A BRAVE RESCUE, AND A ROUGH RIDE”, in Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. […], volume I, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Marston, […], →OCLC, page 112:
   • Much as we may mislike her talk of the late cardinal appearing to her, and devils in her bedchamber, she speaks in this way because she has been taught to ape the claims of certain nuns who went before her, nuns whom Rome is pleased to recognise as saints. 2009 April 30, Hilary Mantel, “Devil’s Spit: Autumn and Winter 1533”, in Wolf Hall, London: Fourth Estate, HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, page 492:
   • [A]s nothing is begun and perfited at the ſame time, and the later thoughts are thought to be the vviſer: ſo, if vve building vpon their foundation that vvent before vs, and being holpen by their labours, doe endeuour to make that better vvhich they left ſo good; no man, vve are ſure, hath cauſe to miſlike vs; they, vve perſvvade our ſelues, if they vvere aliue, vvould thanke vs. 1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC:
   • In latter years some of the better and nicer sort, misliking Joan, have mollified the name of Joan into Jane, as it may seem, for that Jane is never found in old Records; and as some will, never before the time of King Henry the eight. 1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, pages 103–104:
   • [T]hoſe that had forſaken hys father and taken part with him againſt his ſayde father, he ſeemed now ſo much to miſlike, that hee remoued them vtterly from his preſence, and contrariwiſe preferred ſuch as had continued faythful vnto his father in time of the troubles. 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “Richarde the Firste”, in The Laste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume II, London: […] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, page 474, column 1:
   • What is there, then, ye will say to me, in this third ordinance which thou so mislikest? I will answer you in a few words. I mislike the changing of the laws of our fathers, specially when these laws have respect to the worship of the gods. 1840, Thomas Arnold, “The Licinian Laws.—378–384.”, in History of Rome, volume II (From the Gaulish Invasion to the End of the First Punic War), London: B. Fellowes; […], →OCLC, page 50:
2. (archaic, transitive) To displease or offend (someone).
   • But ther ys alſo interceſsion made to ſainctes, vvhich ys an other matter that miſliketh him therin, vvhich interceſsion alſo ys in the Maſſe of ſainct Iames. 1566, Thomas Heskyns, “Treateth of the Value of the Masse to the Quicke and the Dead”, in The Parliament of Chryste Avouching and Declaring the Enacted and Receaued Trueth of the Presence of His Bodie and Bloode in the Blessed Sacrament, […], Antwerp: […] William Silvius […], →OCLC, book III, folio cccxxxvi, recto:
   • [T]he Gods are wise, and thriftless deed / Mislikes them, […] 1870, William Morris, “February: Bellerophon in Lycia”, in The Earthly Paradise: A Poem, part IV, London: F[rederick] S[tartridge] Ellis, […], →OCLC, page 275:
   • Er Christmas be passed let horse be let blood, / for many a purpose it doth them much good. / The daie of S. Stephen old fathers did vse: / if that doe mislike thee some other daie chuse. 1878, Thomas Tusser, “Decembers Husbandrie”, in Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., […], →OCLC; republished as W[illiam] Payne, Sidney J[ohn Hervon] Herrtage, editors, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., […], 1878, →OCLC, stanza 16, page 63:
   • Mote not miſlike you alſo to abate / Your zealous haſt, till morrovv next againe / Both light of heuen, and ſtrength of men relate: […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51, page 526:
3. (archaic, intransitive) To displease or offend.
   • This ſentence ſerues, and that my hand out-ſtrikes, / That pleaſeth vvell, and this as much miſlikes, […] 1597, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “Matilda [Robert Fitzwalter’s daughter] to King John”, in Englands Heroicall Epistles, London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] Ling, […], →OCLC, folio 13, recto:
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To disapprove; also, to be displeased or unhappy.
   • [T]hey thought themſelves gallant Men, and I thought them fools; they made ſport, and I laught; they miſpronounc't, and I miſlik't; […] 1642 April, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, […], volume I, Amsterdam [actually London: s.n.], 1698, →OCLC, page 176:
   • R[oderico] D[’Avolos]. Beſhrevv my heart, but that’s not ſo good. / Duke [Phillippo Caraffa, Duke of Pavy]. Ha, vvhat’s that thou miſlik’ſt D’auolos? 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Hugh Beeston, […], →OCLC, Act III:
   • [U]niuſtly thou doeſt vvyte them all, / For that vvhich thou miſlikedſt in a fevv. 1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, signature D3, verso:
   • VVhat he liketh or miſliketh, it maketh not much Matter. For he miſliketh the Goſpel, true Religion, and theſe our Times. But he ought of right, moſt of all to miſlike himſelf. 1709, John Strype, “The Bishop of Worcester’s Vindication of Himself against Sir John Bourne, before the Privy Council. Bourne’s Imprisonment and Submission. [An Answer to a Declaration of Sir John Bourne, Kt. which He Hath Made to My Answer Uttered before Your Honours. The Said Declaration being Indeed a New and Untrue Accusation.]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume I, London: […] John Wyat, […], →OCLC, page 358:
   • A Gentlevvoman of the ſame Citty ſavv a fat hogge cut vp, and vvhen the intrals vvere opened, and a noyſome ſavour offended her noſe, ſhe much miſliked, and vvould no longer abide: […] 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Shame and Disgrace, Causes”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 2, member 4, subsection 3, page 131:
   • [N]eyther hys ſeruantes nor hymſelf ſuffered to gone^([sic – meaning go?]) oute, parceiuyng well ſo greate a thyng without his knowledge not begun for noughte, comparyng this maner preſẽ[n]t with this laſt nightes chere, ĩ[n] ſo few houres ſo gret a chaunge marueylouſlye miſliked. c. 1513 (date written), Thomas More, “The History of King Richard the Thirde (Vnfinished) […]”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, pages 41–42:
5. (intransitive, obsolete) To become sickly or weak due to poor health; to waste away.
   • [I]t vvas obſerued likevviſe, that a little before the death of every one the tree by him planted, did miſlike and die. In the laſt yeere therefore of Nero, not onely the vvhole grove of bay trees vvithered to the very roote, but all the hens there died euery one. 1606, Caius [i.e., Gaius] Suetonius Tranquillus, “The Historie of Servius Sulpitius Galba”, in Philêmon Holland, transl., The Historie of Twelve Cæsars Emperours of Rome. […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes and George Snowdon] for Matthew Lownes, →OCLC, page 211:
   • But as vvell the one as the other applied vvith honey, doe heale old ulcers: they incarnat and fill up the hollovv concavities of fiſtulous ſores: and ſuch parts as do miſlike and vvant nouriſhment, they cauſe to gather fleſh and fill the skin againe: […] 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXVII.] Of Stinking Horehound: Of Mille-graine, or Oke of Ierusalem: Of Brabyla, Bryon, Bupleuros, Catanance: Of Calla, Circæa, and Cirsium: Of Cratægonon and Thelygonum: Of Crocodilium and Cynosorchis: Of Chrysolachanon, Cucubalon, and Conserva.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 279:

Forms

Deriveds

misliker · misliking · misliked

Relateds

mislikeness

mislike en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /(ˌ)mɪsˈlaɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌmɪsˈlaɪk/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English mislike (“displeasure; hardship; sorrow; unpleasantness”), from mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’, etc.) + like (“pleasure, will”) (from liken (“to give pleasure to, make happy, please; to be pleasant; to suit; (reflexive) to please oneself, take delight; (reflexive) to be pleased to do (something); to like; to approve of, be in favour of; to be delighted or pleased; to choose, want, wish”), from Old English līcian (verb): see further at etymology 1).

Meanings

1. (archaic, uncountable) Aversion or distaste for something; dislike; (countable, archaic) an instance of this.
   • [H]er miſlike of my Dreſs confirms me, this muſt be ſome levvd London Gimcrack, ſome Play-houſe haunting Couſin; […] [1703], Tho[mas] d’Urfey, The Old Mode & the New, or, Country Miss with Her Furbeloe. A Comedy. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott, and sold by Samuel Clark, […], Francis Faucet […], and Lucas Stowkey […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, pages 51–52:
   • Hovvbeit upon a miſlike that they took to him alſo, at foure moneths end, they deprive him of his Empire, take avvay his life, and made over the Soveraignty of State to one Conſtantine, a ſouldier of the meaneſt place, only becauſe his name imported, as they thought, the offe^([sic – meaning offer?]) of good luck. 1610, William Camden, “Romans in Britaine”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, pages 84–85:
   • He had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was 'im as they was hirritated at. 1897, Bram Stoker, “Lucy Westenra’s Diary”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter XI, page 150:
   • O let not my ſecure ſimplicity, breed your miſlike, […] 1605, Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], The Dutch Courtezan. […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for Iohn Hodgets, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i:
2. (obsolete, uncountable) Lack of comfort; discomfort; also, difficulty; trouble; or sadness; unhappiness.
   • His mother is sister to Mr James Murray, and hath now maryed Mr John Graham, a seruante of therle of Argile, to the greif and mislike of her best frendes. 1583, “A Breife Opinion of the State, Faction, Religion, and Power of the Severall Noble Menn in Scotlande, as They Dwell, Not Placinge Them Accordinge to Their Greatnes, Degree, or Antiquitie, vnder the Raigne of Kinge James VI. Anno Domini 1583”, in The Bannatyne Miscellany; Containing Original Papers and Tracts, Chiefly Relating to the History and Literature of Scotland, volume I, Edinburgh: [Ballantyne & Co.], published 1827, →OCLC, 1st part, page 69:
3. (obsolete, uncountable) The characteristic or state of incapacity, physical distress, or weakness due to poor health; sickliness; (countable) an instance of this.
   • [If] you finde a certaine miſlike or conſumption in the plant, you ſhall immediatly vvith a ſharp knife cut the plant off ſlope-vviſe upvvard, about three fingers from the ground, and ſo let it reſt till the next ſpring, at vvhich time you ſhall behold nevv cyons iſſue from the roote, […] 1613, G[ervase] M[arkham], “Of the Setting or Planting of the Cyons or Branches of Most Sorts of Fruit-trees”, in The English Husbandman. The First Part: […], London: […] T[homas] S[nodham] for Iohn Browne, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Contayning the Art of Planting, Grafting and Gardening, […], page 132:
4. (obsolete, uncountable) Discontent, unrest; (countable) an instance of this.
   • [T]he mislike growne among thẽselves did wel allay the heat against her […] c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:

Forms

Synonyms

dissension · disaffection

mislike en · ADJ · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /(ˌ)mɪsˈlaɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌmɪsˈlaɪk/ (General-American)

Etymology

From mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’) + like (“similar”, adjective).

Meanings

1. (obsolete, rare) Not like or similar; different, unlike.

Forms