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the likes of

Variant of like

like definition

like (līk)

adjective

having almost or exactly the same qualities, characteristics, etc.; similar; equal a cup of sugar and a like amount of flour
Rare alike
Dialectal likely

Etymology: ME lik, aphetic for ilik < OE gelic, similar, equal, lit., of the same form or shape, akin to Ger gleich < PGmc *galīka- < *ga-, prefix of uncert. meaning + *līka, body, (ON līk, Goth leik, OE lic): for IE base see lich

adverb

Informal likely like as not, he is already there

similar to; somewhat resembling she is like a bird
in a manner characteristic of; similarly to she sings like a bird
in accord with the nature of; characteristic of it's not like her to sleep late
in the mood for; desirous of to feel like sleeping
indicative or prophetic of that sounds like fun; it looks like a clear day tomorrow
as for example great dramatists like Sophocles and Shakespeare

conjunction

in the way that; as it was just like you said
as if it looks like he is late

noun

a person or thing regarded as the equal or counterpart of another or of the person or thing being discussed I've never met her like

interjection

Informal inserted into spoken sentences before or after a word, phrase, or clause, apparently without meaning or syntactic function, but possibly for emphasis it's, like, hot

like Idioms

be like

Slang to say, think, or feel so I'm like, “We have to be there on time,” and he's like, “Well, duh—so what else is new?”

like anything

Informal very much; exceedingly

like blazes

or like crazy or like the devil or like mad

Informal with furious energy, speed, etc.

like to

Dialectal nearly; almost he like to broke the door down

nothing like

not at all like; completely different from