like of
B1 informal
In simple words
Something or someone similar to, or of the same type as, what you're talking about.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
Used in 'the like of' to refer to someone or something of the same kind, quality, or type — often implying rarity or uniqueness.
"We may never see the like of that performance again in our lifetime."
"The world will not see the like of him again."
— Common journalistic formulation; widely used in obituaries and tributes, e.g. various UK newspaper tributes
Usage notes
Most commonly appears in the fixed expressions 'the like of' or 'the likes of'. Slightly old-fashioned compared to 'the likes of'. Can express admiration ('we've never seen the like of it') or dismissal ('not for the likes of us'). Used across British and American English.
Commonly used with
never seen the world him her it us
Forms
Base
like of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
likes of
he/she/it
Past simple
liked of
yesterday
Past participle
liked of
have + pp
-ing form
liking of
continuous
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Synonyms
the likes of such as the equal of the kind of anything like
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