like

Like is a versatile English word with multiple grammatical roles, including preposition, conjunction, adjective, verb, adverb, and discourse marker. It conveys similarity, resemblance, preference, or indication of examples, tastes, or dispositions. The word’s etymology reflects distinct origins for its senses: the adjective like derives from Old English gelīc meaning similar, while the verb like comes from Old English lician meaning to please.

As a preposition, like introduces comparisons: "She dances like a professional." It can also signal similarity among things: "There are fruits like apples and oranges." In informal usage, like can precede a clause as a quasi-conjunction, as in "Like I said, we should leave."

As a verb, like means to enjoy or prefer: "I like jazz." It can also express desire in polite requests: "I would like a coffee." The phrase "would like" is a common polite construction; "to like doing something" expresses preference for an activity.

As an adjective, like means similar: "They are of a like mind." As a discourse marker or filler, like is used to hedge statements, approximate meaning, or quote informal speech: "It was, like, incredible." Traditional prescriptive grammar notes that overuse in formal writing is discouraged.

In digital media, Like refers to a user action that signals approval or interest. The Like button became a major feature on social networks, notably Facebook in 2009, serving as an engagement metric and affecting algorithms, visibility, and monetization. Critics argue it reduces feedback to a numeric cue and can shape behavior or bias content.