Etymologically
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dislike

Etymology and origin of the English word dislike

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1540s
Ultimate origin
English (dis-,like)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɪsˈlaɪk/, /ˈdɪslaɪk/[1]

Etymology

It is from English dis- + like, a hybrid of a Latin prefix and a native verb.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

To be displeased with, regard with aversion: the 1540s, implied in disliking, in Etymonline;[4] about 1555 in Barnhart and the OED, 1567 in Merriam-Webster.[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

It ousted the native mislike as the opposite of like.[4] Like disgust, it sometimes reversed the direction of its action and meant to annoy or displease (1570s), a sense now obsolete.[4][5] The transitive sense, not to like, is from 1594.[5] The noun, displeasure or disapproval, is from 1577,[2][5] and distaste or aversion from the 1590s.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1540s – disliking.[4]
  • c. 1555 – to be displeased.[5][2]
  • 1577 – dislike (noun).[5][2]
  • 1579 – to displease (obsolete).[5]
  • 1594 – not to like.[5]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To regard with distaste or aversion; to find unpleasant.

Noun

  1. A feeling of distaste or antipathy.

Word family

  • dislikable
  • disliker
  • like
  • mislike

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Dislike.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/dislike. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·