Dislike can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means a feelingan emotion or inner state experienced by a person of aversiona strong feeling of not liking or wanting to avoid or not approvingshowing agreement, support, or a positive opinion of someone or something. As a verb, it means to feel that way about something or someone.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /dɪsˈlaɪk/
Easy pronunciation: dis-LIKE (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Noun sense: a feeling of aversion or antipathy.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Dislike Meaning
a feeling that you do not like someone or something
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a feeling of aversion or antipathy
Example: My dislike of him was instinctive.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Dislike
Meaning 2
a lack of approval or support for someone or a group
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
Example: The proposal met with strong dislike from several members.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- disapproval — A close synonym in this sense.
- disfavor — Works in the sense of not approving of someone or something.
- disfavour — British spelling of disfavor.
Meaning 3
to not like someone or something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: have or feel a dislike or distaste for
Example: I really dislike this salesman.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Dislike Synonyms
noun: not approving of someone or something
- disapproval
- disfavor
- disfavour
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse the noun dislike with disapproval; they are related, but dislike usually means a negative feeling, while disapproval is specifically about judgment or approval.
- The verb dislike does not mean the same as dislike used as a noun.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dislike mean?
Dislike can mean a feeling of not liking someone or something, or the act of not liking it. It can also mean lack of approval in a more formal noun sense.
What is a synonym for dislike?
For the noun sense, strong synonyms include disapproval, disfavor, and disfavour. For the verb sense, the closest everyday substitute is usually just not like.
Is dislike a noun or a verb?
It can be both. The noun describes a negative feeling or lack of approval, and the verb means to feel that way about someone or something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.