liken

Liken is a verb meaning to describe or show the resemblance between two or more things by comparing them; to draw an analogy between objects, ideas, or phenomena. The common construction is to liken A to B, though the phrase can also appear in the passive voice: A is likened to B. The act of likening emphasizes similarity rather than identity and can carry rhetorical or evaluative nuance depending on context.

Etymology and form: the verb derives from the adjective like with the suffix -en, and traces back through Old English and Proto-Germanic roots related to resemblance. Related forms include likening (gerund) and likened (past participle).

Usage and nuance: likening is widely used in literary criticism, philosophy, journalism, and everyday speech to clarify a point by analogy. It can be a helpful explanatory device, but excessive or strained likening may feel presumptive or melodramatic. Writers often choose familiar or concrete comparisons to aid understanding, while speakers or editors may adjust tone to keep the comparison precise rather than allegorical.

Examples:

- The poet likens dawn to a white rose blooming over the horizon.

- The analyst likened the city’s growth to a living ecosystem, with interdependent parts that adapt to change.

See also: compare, analogy, metaphor, simile, rhetorical devices. Liken is most appropriate when the goal is to highlight a point of similarity between two distinct entities rather than to replace one with the other.