Touch vs Like - What's the difference?
touch | like |
Primarily physical senses.
# (label) To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.
# (label) To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.
# (label) To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.
# (label) To make physical contact with a thing.
# (label) To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.
#* (Bible), (w) xxvi. 28, 29
# (label) To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.
# (label) To consume, or otherwise use.
#*{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
, passage=But Richmond
# (label) Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).
#* 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby-Dick) :
#
#* 1971 , , Religion and the Decline of Magic , Folio Society (2012), page 189:
#
# To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.
#* (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
# (label) To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
# To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
# (label) To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.
Primarily non-physical senses.
# (label) To imbue or endow with a specific quality.
#
#*, I.2.4.vii:
# (label) To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on'' or ''upon something).
#* 1886 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde)
# (label) To concern, to have to do with.
#* 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , (w) V:
#*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.}}
#* 1919 , (Saki), ‘The Penance’, The Toys of Peace , Penguin 2000 (Complete Short Stories), p. 423:
# (label) To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.
#
#
# (label) To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).
#
# (label) To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.
#* 1928 , , "The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers", in (Lord Peter Views the Body) ,
#* 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited,
# To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.
To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.
* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.
* (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
(label) To infect; to affect slightly.
To strike; to manipulate; to play on.
* (John Milton) (1608-1674)
To perform, as a tune; to play.
* Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
* (John Milton) (1608-1674)
An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.
The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.
The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument.
A distinguishing feature or characteristic.
A little bit; a small amount.
* Shakespeare
The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.
A relationship of close communication or understanding.
The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=September 29
, author=Jon Smith
, title=Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers
, work=BBC Sport
Act or power of exciting emotion.
* Shakespeare
An emotion or affection.
* Hooker
Personal reference or application.
* Francis Bacon
A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
* Dryden
A brief essay.
* Jonathan Swift
A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.
* Shakespeare
* Fuller
Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.
* Carew
* Shakespeare
The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.
The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, or of one worked anchor-stock fashion (that is, tapered from the middle to both ends); also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.
The children's game of tag.
To please.
*:
*:Madam, said Sir Uwaine, they are to blame, for they do against the high order of knighthood, and the oath that they made; and if it like you I will speak with them, because I am a knight of King Arthur's, and I will entreat them with fairness; and if they will not, I shall do battle with them, and in the defence of your right.
*:• :
*::Madame sayd syr Vwayne / they are to blame / for they doo ageynst the hyghe ordre of knyghthode & the othe that they made / And yf hit lyke yow I wille speke with hem by cause I am a knyghte of kynge Arthurs / and I wylle entrete them with fayrenesse / And yf they wylle not I shalle doo bataille with them and in the deffense of youre ryghte
*Sir (Philip Sidney) (1554-1586)
*:I willingly confess that it likes me much better when I find virtue in a fair lodging than when I am bound to seek it in an ill-favoured creature.
*1608 , (William Shakespeare), (King Lear) :
*:His countenance likes me not.
To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
:
*(John Locke) (1632-1705)
*:He may either go or stay, as he best likes .
*1865 , (Lewis Carroll), (w, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) , :
*:“I can tell you more than that, if you like ,” said the Gryphon. “Do you know why it’s called a whiting?”
*
*:At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy?; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.
(lb) To derive pleasure of'', ''by'' or ''with someone or something.
*1662 , , Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Systems of the World (Dialogue Two)
*:And therefore it is the best way, if you like of it, to examine these taken from experiments touching the Earth, and then proceed to those of the other kind.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.}}
To prefer and maintain (an action) as a regular habit or activity.
:
(lb) To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition).
*(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
*:You like well, and bear your years very well.
(lb) To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly.
:
*(Horace Walpole) (1717-1797)
*:He probably got his death, as he liked to have done two years ago, by viewing the troops for the expedition from the wall of Kensington Garden.
To find attractive; to prefer the company of; to have mild romantic feelings for.
:
(lb) To liken; to compare.
*(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
*:Like me to the peasant boys of France.
To show support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet by marking it with a vote.
:
:
(usually plural) Something that a person likes (prefers).
(internet) The act of showing support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet by marking it with a vote.
Similar.
* 1843 , (Thomas Carlyle), , book 2, ch. 3, Landlord Edmund
* {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
, chapter=1 (obsolete) likely; probable
* South
* Clarendon
(informal) For example, such as: to introduce an example or list of examples.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2
, passage=Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.}}
* , chapter=10
, title= (archaic, colloquial) Likely.
* 1599 , (William Shakespeare), (Much Ado About Nothing) ,
(obsolete) In a like or similar manner.
* Bible, Psalms ciii. 13
(sometimes as the likes of ) Someone similar to a given person, or something similar to a given object; a comparative; a type; a sort.
* (rfdate), (Winston Churchill) on
as if; as though
Somewhat similar to, reminiscent of.
* , chapter=1
, title= * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=19 * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=David Simpson
, volume=188, issue=26, page=36, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
, title= (colloquial, obsolete, current in Scots)
(colloquial)
(colloquial) (indicating approximation or uncertainty)
(colloquial, slang)
* 2006 , (Lily Allen), Knock 'Em Out
(Liverpool, Geordie) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.
As a verb touch
is primarily physical senses.As a noun touch
is an act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.touch
English
Verb
(es)- Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee.
- Now a certain grand merchant ship once touched at Rokovoko, and its commander — from all accounts, a very stately punctilious gentleman, at least for a sea captain — this commander was invited to the wedding feast of Queequeg's sister, a pretty young princess just turned of ten.
- But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch form the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration.
- Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch' upon gold, that will not ' touch upon silver.
- Next to sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure fear; for besides those terrors which I have before touched ,which much trouble many of us.
- "Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope," continued the doctor, "there is one point I should like you to understand."
- Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men.
- And now it seemed he was engaged in something which touched them closely, but must be hidden from their knowledge.
- There was his mistress, Maria Morano. I don't think I've ever seen anything to touch her, and when you work for the screen [as I do] you're apt to have a pretty exacting standard of female beauty.
Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
- On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%.
- I mean to touch your love indeed.
- The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right.
- (Francis Bacon)
- [They] touched their golden harps.
- A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet.
- No decree of mine,[to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will.
Derived terms
* touch a nerve * touch base * touch bottom * touch down * touch off * touch on * touch the hem of someone's garment * touch up * touch woodNoun
(es)- Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder.
- With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk.
- He performed one of Ravel's piano concertos with a wonderfully light and playful touch .
- Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer.
- Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect.
- Madam, I have a touch of your condition.
- He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch .
- He promised to keep in touch while he was away.
- I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch .
citation, page= , passage=Rovers' hopes of pulling off one of the great European shocks of all time lasted just 10 minutes before Spurs finally found their scoring touch .}}
- Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches , / Do strongly speak to us.
- a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy
- Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used.
- Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design.
- Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch .
- Now do I play the touch .
- a neat new monument of touch and alabaster
- equity, the true touch of all laws
- friends of noble touch
- a heavy touch''', or a light '''touch
Derived terms
* common touch * in touch * light touch * lose one's touch * lose touch * out of touch * soft touch * touch football * touch-kick * touchless * touch oneself * touch-paper * touch piece * touch-typeStatistics
*Anagrams
* 1000 English basic wordslike
English
(wikipedia like)Etymology 1
From (etyl) liken, from (etyl) .Verb
(lik)Usage notes
* In its senses of “enjoy” and “maintain as a regular habit”, form), while in the latter, it takes a to-infinitive. See also . * Like is only used to mean “want” in certain expressions, such as “if you like” and “I would like”. The conditional form, would like, is used quite freely as a polite synonym for want.Synonyms
* (find attractive) fancy (British), (l), (l)Antonyms
* dislike, hate, mislikeDerived terms
* dislike * likable * like like * would likeNoun
(en noun)- Tell me your likes and dislikes.
Synonyms
* favorite (US), favourite (UK), preferenceAntonyms
* dislike, pet hate, pet peeveDerived terms
* like-for-likeEtymology 2
From (etyl), from (etyl) .Adjective
- and this is not a sky, it is a Soul and living Face! Nothing liker the Temple of the Highest, bright with some real effulgence of the Highest, is seen in this world.
citation, passage=She was like a Beardsley Salome , he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.}}
- But it is like the jolly world about us will scoff at the paradox of these practices.
- Many were not easy to be governed, nor like to conform themselves to strict rules.
Derived terms
* (l) * (l)Adverb
(en adverb)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.}}
- DON PEDRO. May be she doth but counterfeit.
- CLAUDIO. Faith, like enough. [= Indeed, quite likely.]
- Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Usage notes
In formal writing, such as is preferred over like.Synonyms
* for example * (formal) such asNoun
(en noun)- We shall never see his like again.
- There were bowls full of sweets, chocolates and the like .
- It was something the likes of which I had never seen before.
Synonyms
* ilkAntonyms
* antithesis, oppositeConjunction
(English Conjunctions)- It looks like you've finished the project.
- It seemed like you didn't care.
Derived terms
* feel like, look like, seem like, sound likePreposition
(English prepositions)Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned,
citation, passage=When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. […]. The captive made no resistance and came not only quietly but in a series of eager little rushes like a timid dog on a choke chain.}}
Fantasy of navigation, passage=Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.}}
Antonyms
* unlikeParticle
(en-part)- He was so angry, like.
- She was, like , sooooo happy.
- There were, like , twenty of them.
- And then he, like , got all angry and left the room.
- I was like''', “Why did you do that?” and he's '''like , “I don't know.”
- You're just doing your own thing and some one comes out the blue,
- They're like , "Alright"
- What ya saying, "Yeah can I take your digits?"
- And you're like , "no not in a million years, you're nasty please leave me alone."
Synonyms
* be all, goUsage notes
The use as a quotative is deliberately informal and commonly used by young people, and often combined with the use of the present tense as a narrative. Similar terms are to go'' and ''all'', as in ''I go, “Why did you do that?” and he goes, “I don't know”'' and ''I was all, “Why did you do that?” and he was all, “I don't know.” These expressions can imply that the attributed remark which follows is representative rather than necessarily an exact quotation; however, in speech these structures do tend to require mimicking the original speaker's inflection in a way (said) would not.Interjection
(en interjection)- divint ye knaa, like ?