akin

akin — adjective

1. showing much the same character, feeling, or effect as something else.

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

showing much the same character, feeling, or effect as something else.

Example

Her calm voice was akin to her mother's during family arguments.

be akin to + noun for close likeness

The feeling was akin to standing alone on a dark stage.

be akin to + -ing for comparing an experience

Common collocations
  • akin to panic
  • akin to grief
  • akin to a dream
  • akin to magic
Synonyms
  • similar

    the broad everyday word; less formal than 'akin'

  • comparable

    used when two things are alike enough to be judged or measured together

  • parallel

    stresses matching development or structure rather than general likeness

  • related

    looser; may mean merely connected, not strongly alike

Antonyms
  • different

    the general opposite, showing clear difference

  • unlike

    used when two things do not resemble each other

Grammar Patterns

be akin to + noun

be akin to + -ing

Usage Note

Usually follows verbs such as 'be', 'feel', or 'seem', and it is most common in the pattern 'akin to ...'. Formal in tone; in everyday speech, people more often say 'similar to' or 'like'.

Common Mistakes

Their plan is akin with ours.
Their plan is akin to ours.
the fixed preposition is 'to', not 'with'.
It was an akin feeling.
It was a similar feeling.
'akin' is usually used after a verb, not directly before a noun.

Word family

  • kin
    nounC2
  • kindred
    adjectiveC2
  • kinship
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Akin' is the most formal word in this group and often suggests a fairly deep or striking likeness, not just a small shared feature. 'Similar' is the general everyday choice and works in almost any context. 'Comparable' is useful when two things are alike enough to be judged side by side, especially for price, quality, or results. 'Parallel' points more to matching development or structure than to simple resemblance. 'Related' is weaker and may only show that there is some connection. Because of its tone, 'akin' appears more in essays, reviews, and thoughtful speech than in casual talk. Compare: 'The mood was akin to grief' sounds literary; 'The mood was similar to grief' is plainer; 'The two prices are comparable' focuses on fair comparison.

akin ↗similar ↗comparable ↗parallelrelated ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • closely akin
  • remarkably akin

Phrases

  • be akin to
  • feel akin to

Prepositions

  • akin to

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Akin' was formed in Middle English from the old prefix 'a-' meaning 'of' or 'in the state of' plus 'kin'. It first referred to people connected by family, then widened over time to mean a close likeness in character, feeling, or effect. That history helps explain why the word can sound deeper and more literary than plain 'similar'.