starlike

IPA/stˈɑːlaɪk/
KK[stˈɑrlˌaɪk]IPA/stˈɑːrlˌaɪk/

starlike — adjective

  • starlikepositive
  • more starlikecomparative
  • most starlikesuperlative

1. having the shape of a star, with several points or arms that extend outward from

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having the shape of a star, with several points or arms that extend outward from a central area.

Example

The children cut out starlike decorations from yellow paper for the festival.

A starlike flower with five white petals grew in the garden near the old oak tree.

starlike + flower / describing a star-shaped bloom

Common collocations
  • starlike flower
  • starlike shape
  • starlike pattern
  • starlike decoration
  • starlike design
Synonyms
  • star-shaped

    more common and everyday in tone

  • stellate

    technical term used in botany and biology

  • radial

    emphasises the outward-spreading structure rather than the pointed ends

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

starlike + noun (e.g., starlike flower, starlike pattern)

noun phrase + be + starlike

Usage Note

Attributive use (before a noun) is most common — for example, 'a starlike flower' rather than 'the flower was starlike'. This is the most frequent meaning of the word.

2. shining with a bright, steady glow that is similar to the light of a star in the

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

shining with a bright, steady glow that is similar to the light of a star in the night sky.

Example

The diamond on Ingrid's ring gave a starlike sparkle under the restaurant lights.

A single starlike lantern hung above the doorway and cast a warm glow across the patio.

starlike + lantern / describing a bright steady glow

Common collocations
  • starlike glow
  • starlike light
  • starlike sparkle
  • starlike beam
  • starlike brilliance
Synonyms
  • gleaming

    suggests reflected or polished light rather than emitted light

  • luminous

    more general, can describe any glowing object

  • radiant

    stronger — suggests warmth and energy as well as light

Antonyms
  • dim

    opposite in brightness

  • dark

    opposite in brightness

Grammar Patterns

starlike + noun (e.g., starlike glow, starlike light)

noun phrase + be + starlike

Usage Note

Frequently found in literary or poetic writing. Less common in everyday conversation, where 'bright', 'shining', or 'glowing' are preferred.

Common Mistakes

The starry diamond sparkled.
The diamond gave a starlike sparkle.
'starry' means 'full of stars' (e.g. a starry sky), not 'shining like a star'.

3. spreading outward from a central point in several directions, like the points of

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

spreading outward from a central point in several directions, like the points of a star extending from its centre.

Example

The city was built on a starlike plan with six main roads leading from the central square.

Scientists observed a starlike pattern of cracks on the frozen lake surface.

starlike pattern of cracks / radiating arrangement

Common collocations
  • starlike arrangement
  • starlike plan
  • starlike pattern
  • starlike cracks
  • starlike rays
Synonyms
  • radial

    neutral, widely used across many fields

  • radiating

    emphasises the process of spreading outward

  • divergent

    suggests branches moving apart from one another

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

starlike + noun (e.g., starlike arrangement, starlike cracks)

noun phrase + be + starlike

Usage Note

Common in scientific or technical descriptions of geometry, crystallography, and astronomy. Distinguish from sense 1 (STAR-SHAPED), which refers to the final shape; this sense emphasises the outward motion or spread from a centre.

starlike — adverb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that branches or spreads from a centre, but they differ in scope and technicality. 'Star-shaped' is the most common and neutral term for everyday use — a star-shaped cookie, a star-shaped badge, a star-shaped leaf. 'Stellate' is a technical term mainly found in botany (a stellate hair on a leaf surface), biology (stellate cells), and crystallography; it sounds out of place in ordinary conversation. 'Radial' focuses on the geometry of rays or spokes extending from a centre rather than the pointed, star-like tips. A radial tyre has cords arranged in a circle, not a star pattern. Use 'star-shaped' for most situations; use 'stellate' only in scientific writing; use 'radial' when you mean 'arranged like the spokes of a wheel' rather than 'like a star's points'.

star-shapedstellate ↗radial

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a starlike manner
  • with a starlike appearance

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English by combining the noun 'star' (from Old English 'steorra') with the suffix '-like' (from Old English 'gelic', meaning 'having the form or quality of'). The word has been used since at least the 1500s to describe anything that resembles a star in shape, brightness, or arrangement.