verb · formal
liken
/ˈlaɪkən/LI·ken
to say that someone or something is similar to someone or something else
Examples
“Many reviewers likened the new author to a young Dickens.”
“She was often likened to a pioneer in her field.”
“It is unfair to liken every minor mistake to deliberate wrongdoing.”
Band 8 sentence
“In her conclusion, the scholar likened urban sprawl to a creeping disease, underlining both environmental and social costs.”
Collocations
- liken A to B
- be likened to
Word family
Common mistakes
She likens him with a hero.→She likens him to a hero.
People like the new novelist to Dickens.→People liken the new novelist to Dickens.
Say it for a higher band
5compare→6draw a parallel between→7+liken
Synonyms
compare
equate
Easily confused
like
“I like classical music.”
compare
“Critics often compare the two writers.”
Related words
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In -en
Learn it with its set