mislike: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/ArchaicLiterary, archaic, formal; now exceedingly rare in modern, everyday English.
Quick answer
What does “mislike” mean?
To dislike.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To dislike; to feel aversion or disapproval towards something or someone.
A feeling of displeasure, disapproval, or distaste (noun). To be displeasing or disagreeable to (archaic/poetic verb).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No meaningful modern regional difference exists due to its extreme rarity. In historical usage, it was slightly more persistent in British literary contexts, but this is negligible.
Connotations
In both varieties, its primary connotation is of archaism and literary style.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in contemporary corpora for both BrE and AmE. It survives almost exclusively in historical texts, poetry, or deliberate archaic stylings.
Grammar
How to Use “mislike” in a Sentence
Subject + mislike + Object (noun/gerund)It + mislike + Object Clause (archaic)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mislike” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I mislike the look of this weather; it seems set to rain.
- The committee began to mislike his increasingly autocratic proposals.
American English
- She openly misliked the plan to merge the departments.
- He misliked being the center of attention.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form derived from 'mislike').
American English
- (No standard adverbial form).
adjective
British English
- (No standard adjectival form. 'Misliked' is a past participle used adjectivally, e.g., 'a misliked proposal').
American English
- (No standard adjectival form).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical or philological discussions of language.
Everyday
Virtually never used; would sound deliberately odd or archaic.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mislike”
- Using it in modern conversation, leading to confusion.
- Confusing it with 'misunderstand' or 'mislay'.
- Using it as a noun more commonly than the verb, though both are archaic.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic. You will almost never encounter it outside of historical texts, poetry, or very deliberate stylistic archaism.
In meaning, very little. 'Dislike' is the standard modern word. 'Mislike' is its older, now obsolete counterpart, carrying a more formal or literary weight when used.
Yes, though even more rarely than the verb. As a noun, it means 'displeasure' or 'dislike', e.g., 'She felt a growing mislike for the scheme.'
For advanced learners, it's useful for reading older literature (Shakespeare, etc.) and for understanding how English word formation works (the productive prefix 'mis-'). It is not for active use in speaking or writing modern English.
To dislike.
Mislike is usually literary, archaic, formal; now exceedingly rare in modern, everyday english. in register.
Mislike: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈlʌɪk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈlaɪk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To take in mislike (archaic: to take offence)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'MIS-placed LIKE' – when your 'like' for something is wrongly placed, it becomes 'mislike' (dislike).
Conceptual Metaphor
AFFECTION/APPROVAL IS A CORRECT PATH (mis- = wrong path).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'mislike' be MOST appropriately used today?