World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesBe-like
/biː laɪk/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To introduce dialogue, an exclamation, or a gestural enactment as a substitute for 'say' or 'think' in informal narration.
"And then she was like, 'I cannot believe you did that!'"
- 1
Used as a hesitation marker or vague approximative filler in conversational speech.
"I was, be like, walking down the street when it started to rain."
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the combination of the English copular verb 'be' and the preposition/conjunction 'like' used in quotative and mimicry contexts. Emerging prominently in late 20th-century colloquial African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and youth slang, it has since become a global marker of reported speech or dramatic enactment.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Be-like"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Be-like" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
genre
Transliteration: zhãr
"Et là, il genre 'je ne veux pas y aller'."
so nach dem Motto
Transliteration: zo nax deːm ˈmɔto
"Und dann meinte er so nach dem Motto, das geht nicht."
fare
Transliteration: ˈfaːre
"E lui fa: 'Non ci posso credere!'"
quedar en plan
Transliteration: keˈdaɾ en plan
"Y ella se quedó en plan 'no puede ser'."
tipo
Transliteration: ˈtʃipu
"E ele ficou tipo 'não acredito'."
ऐसे कहना
Transliteration: aise kehna
"और फिर वह ऐसे कहने लगा कि मुझे नहीं जाना।"
就
Transliteration: jiù
"然后他就说：“我不敢相信！”"
-라며
Transliteration: -ramyeo
"그리고 그가 믿을 수 없다는 듯이 말했다."
〜みたいな感じ
Transliteration: ~mitaina kanji
"そして彼が「信じられない」みたいな感じだった。"
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