likenlik‧en /ˈlaɪkən/ verb 
Verb Table Examples
Critics have likened the new theater to a supermarket.
Verb TableVERB TABLE
liken
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | liken |
| he, she, it | likens | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | likened |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have likened |
| he, she, it | has likened | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had likened |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will liken |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have likened |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Critics have likened the new city hall building to a barn.
- He likened today's stockmarket to that of the 1920's.
- Morris has often been likened to Bobby Kennedy.
- A reporter can only write one story at a time, which I liken to preparing just one dish at a time.
- But if she had to liken him to anything it would be an overgrown teddy bear in determined pursuit of his honey.
- It will liken welfare to drugs: soothing, addictive, and utterly destructive of independence and initiative.
- Retailers were delighted, likening the sales pace to the Christmas season.
- Then Jones will liken Switzer to some of the great men in world history, like Marco Polo.
- There was no attempt to liken any Conservative minister, or downtrodden Chancellor, to Baldrick or anyone else.
- Was she likening the salvation of two white women and a Kurd to that of Noah's family?
Longman Language Activatorto compare things► compare
liken somebody/something to somebody/something phrasal verb formal to say that someone or something is similar to another person or thing SYN compare: to think about two or more things or people, in order to see how similar or different they are: · You should compare at least three or four computers before buying one.compare something/somebody with: · I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend.· If you compare rents in London with those in New York, you'll find they are about the same.· You can't compare Charlie Parker with John Coltrane. They were completely different musicians.
► liken to describe someone or something as being similar to someone or something else, especially in order to make it easier to understand: liken somebody/something to: · Critics have likened the new city hall building to a barn.· Morris has often been likened to Bobby Kennedy.· He likened today's stockmarket to that of the 1920s.
► make a comparison to compare two or more situations or ideas, people etc: make a comparison between: · The article makes a comparison between the novels 'Anna Karenina' and 'Madame Bovary'.
► draw an analogy to compare two similar situations or ideas in order to explain or prove something about one of them: draw an analogy between: · He drew an analogy between mathematics and language.· Joe drew an analogy between the Soviet Union of 1946 and Germany of 1938.
► draw a parallel to compare two different situations in order to show that they are similar in some ways: draw a parallel between/with: · One could draw a parallel between the professions of acting and politics.· He was drawing parallels between events leading up to the last war and current political problems.· You could draw parallels with the old Samson and Delilah story.
► contrast to compare two things, situations, ideas etc in order to show how they are different from each other: · The guide was contrasting the styles of Monet and Manet.contrast with: · In the film, the peaceful life of a monk is contrasted with the violent life of a murderer.· It is interesting to contrast life in Spain now with what it was like prior to 1975.compare and contrast (=show the similarities and differences): · The book compares and contrasts the various methods used in language teaching.
Critics have likened the new theater to a supermarket.