You know how sometimes you want to convey a specific feeling or level of enthusiasm about something you enjoy? Learning different ways to say “I like something” in English (I like synonyms) is all about that.
First off, knowing about helps you become more expressive and nuanced in your communication. Saying “I enjoy this book” versus “I’m captivated by this book” paints a different picture for the listener or reader. It’s like having a broader color palette to paint with; you can create more vivid images and convey your emotions more accurately.
Secondly, understanding various synonyms for I like, enhances your language skills. It’s like expanding your vocabulary toolbox. The more ways you know to express yourself, the better you can navigate different social situations, whether it’s chatting with friends, writing essays, or even in future professional environments.
Moreover, it deepens your understanding of the language itself. You start noticing subtle differences in meanings and connotations between phrases. This not only improves your English comprehension but also makes you a more effective communicator overall.
Lastly, it’s about cultural fluency. Using other ways to say I like might be more common in certain English-speaking regions or among different age groups. By learning these variations, you gain insight into cultural nuances, which is crucial in today’s interconnected world.
If you like something, you can easily describe it by using “I like…”. For example:
–I like playing tennis.
And if you don’t like it, you can simply say “I don’t like…”. For example:
–I don’t like playing tennis.
But saying “I like…” and “I don’t like…” all the time can get really boring and it can show that your level of English is low.
In this lesson of POC English, we are going to learn different ways to say I like and expressing dislikes. This lesson is divided into three parts: beginner, intermediate and advanced so that you will see how to take your English from one level to another.
How to say I like in different ways? (Beginner)
I like
If you want to say what you like, you can simply say “I like…”.
Tip: after “like” you can use a….
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A. Noun
–I like tennis.
-I like books.
-I like rock music.
B. Verb + ing (gerund)
-I like playing tennis.
-I like reading books.
-I like listening to rock music.
I really like… (Another word for I like)
One of the other words for I like is to use the word “really”. In other words, If you want to make your sentence a bit better, you can use “I really like…”. For example:
-I really like tennis.
–I really like listening to rock music.
I love (Of the ways to say I like)
Using “I love” is also another way to say I like in English, which means to like something so much. You can use a verb in the gerund form or a noun after “love”. For instance:
–I love tennis.
-I love playing tennis.
Learn more: One of the topics that are widely used in daily conversation is asking for and giving advice. In order to learn more about it, click on the following link: asking for and giving advice
Disliking in level 1
The easiest way to express your dislike is to say “I don’t like…”. For example:
-I don’t like eating out.
-I don’t like watching TV.
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I hate….
Instead of saying I don’t like, you can say “I hate….”.
–I hate playing video games.
-I hate studying for an exam.
A mini dialogue to review
-What sports do you like?
– I like playing tennis, I really like running and I love going to the gym!
-Are there any sports you don’t like?
-I don’t like cycling and I hate swimming.
Learn more: What are the common synonyms of I think in English?
Watch this short video
Another way to say I like (Intermediate)
I’m fond of (Of other ways of saying I like)
As an intermediate student, if you want to learn the ways to say I like , you can use “I’m fond of….”. After “fond of” you can use a….
A. Noun
–I’m fond of tennis.
-I’m fond of painting.
B. Verb + ing (gerund)
-I’m fond of playing tennis.
-I’m fond of eating out.
I’m keen on (Of other ways to say I like it)
Using I’m keen on is another way to say I like for the intermediate level.
This is another way to express the likeness and you can use a noun or a verb(gerund) after “keen on”. Let’s see some examples:
-I’m keen on fancy outfits.
-I’m keen on wearing fancy outfits.
-I’m keen on modern art.
-I’m keen on traveling with my friends.
-I’m keen on playing rugby.
Be into something (Of synonyms for I like)
If you are into something, it means that you like it and enjoy it. after this phrase, you can use a….
A. Noun
–I’m into art.
B. Verb + ing (gerund)
-I’m into getting better.
Be really into something (Of synonyms for I like)
To enhance things a bit more and make them sound better, you can use “really”. (This is one of the common ways to say I like , specially in spoken English. In order to learn more about the speaking skill in English, click on the following link: improve English speaking).
-I’m really into modern art.
-I’m really into horror movies.
Can’t get enough of something (Of ways to say I like)
When you cannot get enough of something, it means that no matter how much you do it, eat it or listen to it, you cannot get enough and you still want more. As an example:
-I can’t get enough of this movie, I want to watch it over and over again.
-This pizza is delicious, I cannot get enough of it.
Learn more: How can we use other words for but in our conversations?
Disliking in level 2
In the previous section you learned about the ways to say I like in English. In this section we will introduce the different ways to say I don’t like.
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I can’t stand something….
To not be able to stand something means that you can’t tolerate it. it means that it’s so bad that you don’t want to see it. Again, you can use a noun or a verb in gerund form after it.
-I can’t stand heavy metal.
-I cannot stand listening to heavy metal music.
-I can’t stand pineapples on a pizza.
-I cannot stand it when people show up late for a meeting.
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I cannot bear something
It’s another way to express dislike in English. When you can’t bear something, you can’t tolerate it.
-I can’t bear the responsibility of having a child.
-I cannot bear being bored.
-I couldn’t bear seeing the dog in pain.
A mini dialogue to review
-What kind of music do you listen to?
-I’m keen on pop music. I’m a big fan of Justin Bieber, I’m fond of the way he sings on stage. I’m also really into hip-hop. I can’t get enough of Eminem’s songs.
-What kind of music do you dislike?
-I can’t stand heavy metal, it’s really painful to listen to. I just can’t bear the loudness and the screaming and the overall act.
Learn more: One of the several ways of talking about time is to use the verb ‘take.’ If you would like to learn more about it, follow the link below:
talk about time in English
Watch this short video
Synonyms for I like (Advanced)
In the previous sections, we learned about the other ways to say I like for the beginner and the intermediate levels. If your English level is advanced or if you like to learn more advanced ways to express your dislikes or interests, stay with us:
Liking (another way of saying I like)
It looks beginner-level, doesn’t it? but let’s look more closely.
Liking is a noun that means a feeling that you like something or somebody. But how can we use it in a sentence? Let’s see it in 3 different sentences.
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To have a liking for something
This phrase is used when you want to say what you like. For example:
-I have a liking for the movies of Martin Scorsese.
To improve things, you can use an adjective:
- To have a great/genuine/particular liking for something.
for instance:
-I have a great liking for old films.
-I have a particular liking for old films.
-I have a genuine liking for old films.
2. To take a liking to something/somebody
This phrase is used to say you have started liking something or somebody. For example:
–After meeting her at the party, I took a liking to her.
To make it sound better, you can use an adjective.
- To take an instant / immediate / liking to somebody or something
–After meeting her at the party, I took an instant / immediate liking to her.
–I used to hate sushi, but when I had my first bite, I took an instant liking to it.
3.Something is to my liking
If something is to your liking, it means that you like it. look at this example:
–I didn’t like the party because the music wasn’t to my liking.
Learn more: What are the want alternatives in English ?
Disliking in level 3
To have an aversion to something
If you have an aversion to something, it means that you really hate it.
–I have an aversion to insects.
To make it sound even better, you can use the adjective “strong”. For example:
–I have a strong aversion to spiders.
–She has a strong aversion to getting up early in the morning.
To have a hatred of something
This phrase is another way to express your dislike as an advanced English speaker.
Tip: hatred comes from the verb “hate”. Remember that “hatred” is a noun.
To enhance it, you can use the adjectives “deep” / “extreme”.
–He has a deep/extreme hatred of paying taxes.
–I have a deep hatred of insects.
Learn more: Read the article about “ I agree synonyms“ on our website.
A mini dialogue to review
–What kind of movies do you like?
–Well, I have a genuine liking for old films, such as Godfather or Taxi driver. I wasn’t always a fan of old movies, but when I watched Godfather, for example, I took an instant liking to it.
–What movie genres don’t you like?
–To be honest, I have an extreme hatred of sci-fi movies, I just can’t stand them. I have a strong aversion to how unrealistic the plot of these movies is.
Learn more: How many words do you know if you want to stop someone from doing something? Follow the link below to learn about the most common alternatives for the verb “stop”.
synonyms of stop
Conclusion Of the lesson: What is another way to say I like?
Let’s review the phrases we learned today from beginner to advanced
✅ I like…
✅ I really like…
✅ I love….
✅ I hate….
✅ I’m fond of….
✅ I’m keen on….
✅ Be into something….
✅ Be really into something…
✅ Can’t get enough of something
✅ I can’t stand something….
✅ I cannot bear something
✅ To have a liking for something
✅ To have a great/genuine / particular liking for something.
✅ To take a liking to something/somebody
✅ To take an instant / immediate / liking to somebody or something
✅ Something is to my liking
✅ To have an aversion to something
✅ To have a hatred of something
Wow amazing teacher
Interesting ways that didn’t know how to used.
I really like this lesson