adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈlaɪkəbl̩/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L AY1 K AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a person, having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, often
Examples
She's a naturally likable person, with lots of friends.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Capable of, or suitable for, being liked.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, often
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the sympathetic characters in the play
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sympathetic, appealing, likeable
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
easy to like; agreeable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an attractive and likable young man
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: likeable
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English like Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English likable From like + -able.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
приятен
(prijaten)
— capable of being liked
Bulgarian:
харесван
(haresvan)
— capable of being liked
Chinese Mandarin:
招人喜歡 /招人喜欢
(zhāorén xǐhuān)
— capable of being liked
Finnish:
miellyttävä
— capable of being liked
Hindi:
प्रिय
(priya)
— capable of being liked
Hungarian:
szeretetre méltó
— capable of being liked
Hungarian:
kedvelhető
— capable of being liked
Italian:
piacevole
— capable of being liked
Portuguese:
agradável
— capable of being liked
Romanian:
plăcut
— capable of being liked
Romanian:
simpatic
— capable of being liked
Scottish Gaelic:
tlachdmhor
— capable of being liked
Serbo-Croatian:
допадљив
— capable of being liked
Serbo-Croatian:
симпатичан
— capable of being liked
Serbo-Croatian:
dopadljiv
— capable of being liked
Serbo-Croatian:
simpatičan
— capable of being liked
Spanish:
agradable
— capable of being liked
Bulgarian:
приятен
(prijaten)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Bulgarian:
привлекателен
(privlekatelen)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Chinese Mandarin:
招人喜歡 /招人喜欢
(zhāorén xǐhuān)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Esperanto:
simpatia
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Finnish:
miellyttävä
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
French:
aimable
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
French:
sympathique
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
French:
sympa
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
German:
liebenswert
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Hindi:
प्रिय
(priya)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Hungarian:
rokonszenves
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Hungarian:
szimpatikus
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Irish:
taitneamhach
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Italian:
simpatico
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Japanese:
好かれる
(sukareru)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Japanese:
好まれる
(konomareru)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Norwegian Bokmål:
likendes
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Norwegian Bokmål:
omgjengelig
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Norwegian Nynorsk:
likandes
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Norwegian Nynorsk:
omgjengeleg
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Polish:
sympatyczny
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Romanian:
simpatic
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Romanian:
amabil
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Romanian:
plăcut
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Russian:
ми́лый
(mílyj)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Russian:
прия́тный
(prijátnyj)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Russian:
привлека́тельный
(privlekátelʹnyj)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Russian:
симпати́чный
(simpatíčnyj)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Russian:
располага́ющий
(raspolagájuščij)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Sanskrit:
गूर्त
(gūrta)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Scottish Gaelic:
tlachdmhor
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
допадљив
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
симпатичан
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
љубазан
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
dopadljiv
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
simpatičan
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Serbo-Croatian:
ljubazan
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
Ukrainian:
симпати́чний
(sympatýčnyj)
— having qualities tending to result in being liked; friendly, personable
