Like | Meaning, Examples & Part of Speech
Like is a very frequently used word and can function as several different parts of speech.
As a preposition and conjunction, it often introduces a comparison or example. As a verb, it can express enjoyment, preference, or approval.
If you need help identifying the part of speech of like in a sentence, ask QuillBot’s free AI Chat.
| Example | Meaning | Part of speech/function |
| I had a lunch box like that! | Similar to | Preposition |
| It was like we’d never met before. | As if | Conjunction |
| Do you like popcorn? | Prefer/enjoy | Verb |
| I was like, “I don’t mind.” | Say (in combination with “be”) | Quotative |
| But that’s, like, okay, isn’t it? | “You know” | Discourse marker |
Preposition like
The word like can function as a preposition meaning:
- “Similar to”
- “Appears to be,” in combination with the linking verbs “look,” “sound,” “seem,” and “feel”
- “For example”
The preposition like can also indicate typical or characteristic behavior in sentences like “It’s just like her to be so well prepared.”
That looks like a warm sweater. [Appear to be]
Does it sound like a good idea to you? [Appear to be]
She listens to classic rock like Queen and Aerosmith. [For example]
It’s just like Bill to be so generous with his time. [Characteristic of]
Yes, that sounds exactly like Bill. [Characteristic of]
That’s not like Bill; he’s usually so generous with his time. [Characteristic of]
- Q: What was the concert like? A: It was amazing!
- Q: How was the concert like?
- Q: How was the concert? A: It was amazing!
- Q: What’s your new teacher like? A: He’s really nice.
- Q: How’s your new teacher like?
- Q: How’s your new teacher? A: He’s really nice.
In the question “How did you like X?,” “like” is a verb, and the correct question word is “how,” not “what.”
- Q: How did you like the film? A: I liked it a lot.
- Q: What did you like the flim?
- Q: What did you like about the film? A: I liked the main actor.
In some contexts, deciding whether like or as is the correct word can be tricky. You can’t use “as” as a preposition meaning “similar to,” but you can use the phrase “the same X as” to compare things with similar characteristics.
- Q: Our sofa’s the same color as that.
- Q: Our sofa’s the same color like that.
- Q: We have a sofa like that.
- Q: We have a sofa as that.
Conjunction like
“Like” can function as a subordinating conjunction meaning “the way” or “as if.” Here, “like” is followed by a dependent clause (not by the object of a preposition).
It looked like they were filming a YouTube video. [As if]
It felt like I was at a job interview because they were asking me so many questions. [As if]
Verb like
The verb like can mean “enjoy,” “love,” “approve of,” or “appreciate.”
You didn’t used to like swimming when you were small.
I like how you’ve combined all those different shades of green.
I didn’t like his attitude, to be honest.
- But I like Justin Bieber!
- But I’m liking Justin Bieber!
When we’re talking about enjoying a single occasion in the past rather than speaking “generally,” we typically use the present participle (“-ing” form) after the verb “like” rather than the infinitive.
- I liked listening to her talk about her childhood at the book event last week.
- I liked to listen to her talk about her childhood at the book event last week.
- I always liked to listen/listening to her talk about her childhood.
When you use the verb “like” followed by an object and then another verb to express a preference, you typically use the infinitive rather than the “-ing” form for the second verb.
- I like my desk to be tidy.
- I like my desk being tidy.
- We like the sessions to start on time.
- We like the sessions starting on time.
Like simile
When like is used to make a figurative comparison in a simile, it functions as a preposition.
The thought held his attention briefly, like the first raindrop on a windowpane.
Forgetting about it was easy, like shaking the rain from your coat on a rainy day.
Quotative like
In informal (colloquial) speech be like is sometimes used to introduce direct speech—like the reporting verb “say.”
And sometimes they don’t listen, and I’m like, “OK, I’ll explain it for a third time then.”
So he asked me how to get there, and I was like, “Oh, I don’t actually know.”
And then we got lost, and he’s like, “It’s not my fault.”
Unlike “say,” “be like” can also be used to “report on” people’s feelings, attitudes, and thoughts.
And sometimes they don’t listen, and I’m like, that’s not OK.
So he asked me how to get there, and I was like, this is weird.
And then we got lost, and he’s all like, pretending he knows the way.
Like discourse marker
Like is also used as a discourse marker in informal speech—a word or phrase that helps you communicate a subtle aspect of your message rather than changing its basic meaning. For example, “like” can function as a hedge or softener to make you sound less certain, tone down criticism, or appeal to common ground (like “you know”).
That color’s maybe, like, a bit too bright. [Soften criticism]
But it wasn’t, like, the worst meal we’ve ever had. [Appeal to common ground]
Noun like
The part of speech of the word like can be a noun meaning “something that you like” or “a similar thing.”
We got lots of likes on that social media post.
It was a unique occasion, the like/likes of which I’d never experienced before.
You can use this room for painting, crafts, and the like.
Frequently asked questions about like
- Is like a preposition?
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Yes, like is a preposition in sentences such as:
- It’s a sci-fi movie, a bit like Star Wars.
- That puzzle looks like a difficult one.
The part of speech of like can also be a conjunction, verb, or noun.
QuillBot’s free AI Chat can help you identify the part of speech of “like” in a sentence.
- What part of speech is like?
-
The part of speech of like is a preposition when it’s used to indicate similarity before a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase (e.g., “I want sneakers like that/hers”).
“Like” is a conjunction when it means “the way” (e.g., “Make sure you do it exactly like I told you”). You can use like or as with this grammatical function—“like” is more informal.
If you need to identify the part of speech of “like” in a specific sentence, why not ask QuillBot’s free AI Chat to help you?
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Challenger, T. (2026, February 10). Like | Meaning, Examples & Part of Speech. Quillbot. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://quillbot.com/blog/sentence-and-word-structure/like/
