dislike

1 of 2

noun

dis·​like (ˌ)dis-ˈlīk 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• allergy
• averseness
• aversion
• disfavor
• disinclination
• disliking
• disrelish
• down [chiefly British]
• mislike

Verb

• disfavor
• disrelish
• mislike

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

Chrishell’s dislike of Tom seems to have continued after filming ended. —Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025

An ardent dislike for Gaetz might be the most bipartisan, bicameral issue to come out of the 118th Congress. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025

Verb

The duke was liked by 31 percent and disliked by 38 percent giving him a net approval rating of minus 7 in the later polling, down from plus 38 six weeks earlier. —David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025

The question was, which aspects of rotting fruit do these maggots like and dislike? —Ari Daniel, NPR, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dislike

1 of 2 noun

dis·​like (ˈ)dis-ˈlīk 

: a strong feeling of not liking or approving

dislike

2 of 2 verb

: to feel dislike for