mislike

English

WOTD – 31 August 2022

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /(ˌ)mɪsˈlaɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmɪsˈlaɪk/
• Rhymes: -aɪk
• Hyphenation: mis‧like

Etymology 1

From Middle English misliken (“to displease, offend; to disturb mentally, peturb; to dislike, find distasteful; to be unpleasant; to be displeased, dissatisfied, or unhappy; to feel sorry for (someone’s misfortune); of fruit or a tree: to fail to flourish”) [and other forms],^[1] from Old English mislīcian (“to displease; to disquiet”), from mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’, or indicating a failure or lack) + līcian (“to like; to appeal to, please”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“like, similar; even, level”)). The English word is analysable as mis- +‎ like.^[2][3]

cognates

• Middle Dutch mislīken
• Middle Low German mislīken
• Old High German misselīchēn (“to displease”) (Middle High German misselīchen)
• Old Norse mislíka (Icelandic mislíka (“to dislike”))
• Old Swedish mislika (modern Swedish misslika)

Verb

mislike (third-person singular simple present mislikes, present participle misliking, simple past and past participle misliked)

1. (transitive)
   1. To disapprove of or dislike (someone or something); to have an aversion to. [from 13th c.]
      • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “Richarde the Firste”, in The Laste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume II, London: […] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, page 474, column 1:

        [T]hoſe that had forſaken hys father and taken part with him againſt his ſayde father, he ſeemed now ſo much to miſlike, that hee remoued them vtterly from his preſence, and contrariwiſe preferred ſuch as had continued faythful vnto his father in time of the troubles.

      • c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

        [Prince of] Moroc[co]. Miſlike me not for my complexion, / The ſhadowed liuery of the burniſht ſunne, / To vvhom I am a neighbour, and neere bred. / Bring me the faireſt creature North-vvard borne, / VVhere Phœbus fire ſcarce thavves the yſicles, / And let vs make inciſion for your loue, / To proue vvhoſe blood is reddeſt, his or mine.

      • 1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC:

        [A]s nothing is begun and perfited at the ſame time, and the later thoughts are thought to be the vviſer: ſo, if vve building vpon their foundation that vvent before vs, and being holpen by their labours, doe endeuour to make that better vvhich they left ſo good; no man, vve are ſure, hath cauſe to miſlike vs; they, vve perſvvade our ſelues, if they vvere aliue, vvould thanke vs.

      • 1709, John Strype, “The Bishop of Worcester’s Vindication of Himself against Sir John Bourne, before the Privy Council. Bourne’s Imprisonment and Submission. [An Answer to a Declaration of Sir John Bourne, Kt. which He Hath Made to My Answer Uttered before Your Honours. The Said Declaration being Indeed a New and Untrue Accusation.]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume I, London: […] John Wyat, […], →OCLC, page 358:

        VVhat he liketh or miſliketh, it maketh not much Matter. For he miſliketh the Goſpel, true Religion, and theſe our Times. But he ought of right, moſt of all to miſlike himſelf.

      • 1722, [Daniel Defoe], “Part I. Dialogue I.”, in Religious Courtship: Being Historical Discourses on the Necessity of Marrying Religious Husbands and Wives Only. […], London: […] E[manuel] Matthews, […], and A. Bettesworth, […]; J. Brotherton, and W. Meadows, […], →OCLC, page 10:

        VVell; he is a very handſome, vvell-accompliſh'd, vvell-bred Gentleman; ſhe cannot miſlike him; he is a moſt agreeable young Gentleman I aſſure you.

      • 1840, Thomas Arnold, “The Licinian Laws.—378–384.”, in History of Rome, volume II (From the Gaulish Invasion to the End of the First Punic War), London: B. Fellowes;  […], →OCLC, page 50:

        What is there, then, ye will say to me, in this third ordinance which thou so mislikest? I will answer you in a few words. I mislike the changing of the laws of our fathers, specially when these laws have respect to the worship of the gods.

      • 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Essay IV. Lay Theologians.”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy […], →OCLC, section II, page 250:

        Yet, as to the now-preſent relationſhip of the literary laity to theological principles, and to Chriſtianity, ſomething may be ſaid—all proprieties duly regarded—or ſuch proprieties as are due from one writer toward others of the literary guild, who may like, or miſlike, what he ſays.

      • 1869, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, “A BRAVE RESCUE, AND A ROUGH RIDE”, in Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. […], volume I, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Marston, […], →OCLC, page 112:

        With that he leaned forward, and spoke to his mare—she was just of the tint of a strawberry, a young thing, very beautiful—and she arched up her neck, as misliking the job; yet, trusting him, would attempt it.

      • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon [pseudonym; James Leslie Mitchell], “Seed-time”, in Sunset Song, New York, N.Y.: Schocken Books, published 1981, →ISBN, page 103:

        And she found she didn't mislike him any longer, she felt queer and strange to him, not feared, but as though he was to say something in a moment that she knew she couldn't answer.

      • 2009 April 30, Hilary Mantel, “Devil’s Spit: Autumn and Winter 1533”, in Wolf Hall, London: Fourth Estate, HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, page 492:

        Much as we may mislike her talk of the late cardinal appearing to her, and devils in her bedchamber, she speaks in this way because she has been taught to ape the claims of certain nuns who went before her, nuns whom Rome is pleased to recognise as saints.

   2. (archaic) To displease or offend (someone). [from 9th c.]
      • 1566, Thomas Heskyns, “Treateth of the Value of the Masse to the Quicke and the Dead”, in The Parliament of Chryste Avouching and Declaring the Enacted and Receaued Trueth of the Presence of His Bodie and Bloode in the Blessed Sacrament, […], Antwerp: […] William Silvius […], →OCLC, book III, folio cccxxxvi, recto:

        But ther ys alſo interceſsion made to ſainctes, vvhich ys an other matter that miſliketh him therin, vvhich interceſsion alſo ys in the Maſſe of ſainct Iames.

      • 1878, Thomas Tusser, “Decembers Husbandrie”, in Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., […], →OCLC; republished as W[illiam] Payne, Sidney J[ohn Hervon] Herrtage, editors, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie. […], London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., […], 1878, →OCLC, stanza 16, page 63:

        Er Christmas be passed let horse be let blood, / for many a purpose it doth them much good. / The daie of S. Stephen old fathers did vse: / if that doe mislike thee some other daie chuse.

      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51, page 526:

        Mote not miſlike you alſo to abate / Your zealous haſt, till morrovv next againe / Both light of heuen, and ſtrength of men relate: […]

      • 1870, William Morris, “February: Bellerophon in Lycia”, in The Earthly Paradise: A Poem, part IV, London: F[rederick] S[tartridge] Ellis, […], →OCLC, page 275:

        [T]he Gods are wise, and thriftless deed / Mislikes them, […]

2. (intransitive)
   1. (archaic) To displease or offend.
      • 1597, Michaell Draiton [i.e., Michael Drayton], “[Englands Heroicall Epistles.] Matilda [Robert Fitzwalter’s daughter] to King John.”, in Poems: […], London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] Ling, published 1605, →OCLC, folio 13, recto:

        This ſentence ſerues, and that my hand out-ſtrikes, / That pleaſeth vvell, and this as much miſlikes, […]

   2. (obsolete)
      1. To disapprove; also, to be displeased or unhappy.
         • c. 1513 (date written), Thomas More, “The History of King Richard the Thirde (Vnfinished) […]”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, pages 41–42:

           [N]eyther hys ſeruantes nor hymſelf ſuffered to gone^{[sic – meaning go?]} oute, parceiuyng well ſo greate a thyng without his knowledge not begun for noughte, comparyng this maner preſẽ[n]t with this laſt nightes chere, ĩ[n] ſo few houres ſo gret a chaunge marueylouſlye miſliked.

         • 1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, signature D3, verso:

           [U]niuſtly thou doeſt vvyte them all, / For that vvhich thou miſlikedſt in a fevv.

         • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Shame and Disgrace, Causes”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 2, member 4, subsection 3, page 131:

           A Gentlevvoman of the ſame Citty ſavv a fat hogge cut vp, and vvhen the intrals vvere opened, and a noyſome ſavour offended her noſe, ſhe much miſliked, and vvould no longer abide: […]

         • 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Hugh Beeston, […], →OCLC, Act III:

           R[oderico] D[’Avolos]. Beſhrevv my heart, but that’s not ſo good. / Duke [Phillippo Caraffa, Duke of Pavy]. Ha, vvhat’s that thou miſlik’ſt D’auolos?

         • 1642 April, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, […], volume I, Amsterdam [actually London: s.n.], 1698, →OCLC, page 176:

           [T]hey thought themſelves gallant Men, and I thought them fools; they made ſport, and I laught; they miſpronounc't, and I miſlik't; […]

         • 1709, John Strype, “The Bishop of Worcester’s Vindication of Himself against Sir John Bourne, before the Privy Council. Bourne’s Imprisonment and Submission. [An Answer to a Declaration of Sir John Bourne, Kt. which He Hath Made to My Answer Uttered before Your Honours. The Said Declaration being Indeed a New and Untrue Accusation.]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume I, London: […] John Wyat, […], →OCLC, page 358:

           VVhat he liketh or miſliketh, it maketh not much Matter. For he miſliketh the Goſpel, true Religion, and theſe our Times. But he ought of right, moſt of all to miſlike himſelf.

      2. To become sickly or weak due to poor health; to waste away.
         • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXVII.] Of Stinking Horehound: Of Mille-graine, or Oke of Ierusalem: Of Brabyla, Bryon, Bupleuros, Catanance: Of Calla, Circæa, and Cirsium: Of Cratægonon and Thelygonum: Of Crocodilium and Cynosorchis: Of Chrysolachanon, Cucubalon, and Conserva.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 279:

           But as vvell the one as the other applied vvith honey, doe heale old ulcers: they incarnat and fill up the hollovv concavities of fiſtulous ſores: and ſuch parts as do miſlike and vvant nouriſhment, they cauſe to gather fleſh and fill the skin againe: […]

         • 1606, Caius [i.e., Gaius] Suetonius Tranquillus, “The Historie of Servius Sulpitius Galba”, in Philêmon Holland, transl., The Historie of Twelve Cæsars Emperours of Rome. […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes and George Snowdon] for Matthew Lownes, →OCLC, page 211:

           [I]t vvas obſerued likevviſe, that a little before the death of every one the tree by him planted, did miſlike and die. In the laſt yeere therefore of Nero, not onely the vvhole grove of bay trees vvithered to the very roote, but all the hens there died euery one.

Derived terms

• misliked (adjective)
• misliker
• misliking (adjective, noun)

Related terms

• mislikeness (archaic)

Translations

to disapprove of or dislike (someone or something) — see disapprove,‎ dislike

to displease or offend (someone) — see displease,‎ offend

Etymology 2

From Middle English mislike (“displeasure; hardship; sorrow; unpleasantness”),^[4] from mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’, etc.)^[5] + like (“pleasure, will”)^[6] (from liken (“to give pleasure to, make happy, please; to be pleasant; to suit; (reflexive) to please oneself, take delight; (reflexive) to be pleased to do (something); to like; to approve of, be in favour of; to be delighted or pleased; to choose, want, wish”),^[7] from Old English līcian (verb): see further at etymology 1).^[8]

Noun

mislike (countable and uncountable, plural mislikes)

1. (uncountable, archaic) Aversion or distaste for something; dislike; (countable, archaic) an instance of this.
   • 1605, Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], The Dutch Courtezan. […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for Iohn Hodgets, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i:

     O let not my ſecure ſimplicity, breed your miſlike, […]

   • 1610, William Camden, “Romans in Britaine”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, pages 84–85:

     Hovvbeit upon a miſlike that they took to him alſo, at foure moneths end, they deprive him of his Empire, take avvay his life, and made over the Soveraignty of State to one Conſtantine, a ſouldier of the meaneſt place, only becauſe his name imported, as they thought, the offe^{[sic – meaning offer?]} of good luck.

   • [1703], Tho[mas] d’Urfey, The Old Mode & the New, or, Country Miss with Her Furbeloe. A Comedy. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott, and sold by Samuel Clark, […], Francis Faucet […], and Lucas Stowkey […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, pages 51–52:

     [H]er miſlike of my Dreſs confirms me, this muſt be ſome levvd London Gimcrack, ſome Play-houſe haunting Couſin; […]

   • 1897, Bram Stoker, “Lucy Westenra’s Diary”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter XI, page 150:

     He had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was 'im as they was hirritated at.

2. (obsolete)
   1. (uncountable) Lack of comfort; discomfort; also, difficulty; trouble; or sadness; unhappiness.
      • 1583, “A Breife Opinion of the State, Faction, Religion, and Power of the Severall Noble Menn in Scotlande, as They Dwell, Not Placinge Them Accordinge to Their Greatnes, Degree, or Antiquitie, vnder the Raigne of Kinge James VI. Anno Domini 1583”, in The Bannatyne Miscellany; Containing Original Papers and Tracts, Chiefly Relating to the History and Literature of Scotland, volume I, Edinburgh: [Ballantyne & Co.], published 1827, →OCLC, 1st part, page 69:

        His mother is sister to Mr James Murray, and hath now maryed Mr John Graham, a seruante of therle of Argile, to the greif and mislike of her best frendes.

   2. (uncountable) The characteristic or state of incapacity, physical distress, or weakness due to poor health; sickliness; (countable) an instance of this.
      • 1613, G[ervase] M[arkham], “Of the Setting or Planting of the Cyons or Branches of Most Sorts of Fruit-trees”, in The English Husbandman, […], revised edition, London: […] [Augustine Matthews and John Norton] for Henry Taunton, […], published 1635, →OCLC, 2nd part (Containing the Art of Planting, Grafting, and Gardening, […]), page 132:

        [If] you finde a certaine miſlike or conſumption in the plant, you ſhall immediatly vvith a ſharp knife cut the plant off ſlope-vviſe upvvard, about three fingers from the ground, and ſo let it reſt till the next ſpring, at vvhich time you ſhall behold nevv cyons iſſue from the roote, […]

   3. (uncountable) Discontent, unrest; (countable) an instance of this.

      Synonyms: disaffection, dissension

      • c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:

        [T]he mislike growne among thẽselves did wel allay the heat against her […]

Translations

aversion or distaste for something; an instance of this — see dislike

Etymology 3

From mis- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly; wrong; wrongly’) +‎ like (“similar”, adjective).^[9]

Adjective

mislike (comparative more mislike, superlative most mislike)

1. (obsolete, rare) Not like or similar; different, unlike.

References

1. “mislīken, v.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
2. “mislike, v.¹”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
3. “mislike, v.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.
4. “mislīke, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
5. “mis-, pref.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
6. “līke, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
7. “līken, v.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
8. Compare “mislike, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
9. “† mislike, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2018.

Anagrams

• Mileski, milkies

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse mislíka.

Verb

mislike (imperative mislik, present tense misliker, simple past mislikte, past participle mislikt, present participle mislikende)

1. to dislike

References

• “mislike” in The Bokmål Dictionary.