What does misliked mean?
Misliked is the past tense and past participle of mislike and is also used as a participial adjective. It means that someone has an unfavourable opinion of a person, thing, action, or idea, as in “she misliked the proposal” or “the film was widely misliked.” The word covers anything from mild displeasure to a distinct sense of distaste, but it is not as strong as hated and usually does not imply hostility. Mislike and its inflected forms are less frequent than the near-synonymous dislike, so most speakers reach for disliked in ordinary conversation. Nevertheless, misliked has a slightly more personal and emphatic quality, which can be useful when describing an individual reaction rather than a broad social judgment. It is understood in both British and American English and can function either as a verb or as an adjective modifying a noun or pronoun.
To regard with dislike, distrust, or disapproval; to find something unattractive, objectionable, or unsatisfying.
"She misliked the idea of moving abroad but kept discussing it seriously."
The past tense and past participle share the form misliked. Mislike is less common than dislike, and disliked is usually preferred in neutral contemporary usage.
Regarded with dislike or disapproval; not liked or regarded favourably.
"The controversial sequel was a widely misliked addition to the series."
This participial use can describe a person, object, work, plan, or decision and commonly occurs in passive constructions such as “misliked by critics.”
Sometimes dislike is not strong enough, and misliked adds a distinctly more personal note of distaste.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misliked come from?
Misliked is an English formation built from the prefix mis-, the verb like, and the ending -ed, marking the past tense and past participle. The prefix mis- expresses a negative or contrary meaning here, producing the sense “to regard with dislike.” Parallel formations include dislike, with the negative prefix dis-, and unlike, which likewise contrasts something with what is normally liked.
Related word forms
How misliked is actually used
Mislike is less common than dislike in contemporary English, and disliked is often the more natural choice. Misliked can suggest a stronger or more subjective personal aversion, although it does not necessarily mean hated.
Easily confused with misliked
Misliked is formed from the verb mislike, whereas disliked is formed from dislike; the two are close in meaning, but disliked is the more usual word in modern English.