'ozone-like' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'ozone' and the adjectival suffix '-like'. 'Ozone' itself was coined in the 19th century from the Greek verb 'ozein' meaning 'to smell'. The suffix '-like' comes from Old English 'lic' (through Middle English) meaning 'having the form or characteristics of'.

'ozone' was coined in the 1840s (credited to C.F. Schönbein) from Greek 'ozein' ('to smell'), then entered scientific English as 'ozone'; the productive suffix '-like' (from Old English 'lic' > Middle English '-like') was later attached to form the adjective 'ozone-like' in Modern English.

Initially tied closely to the notion of 'smelling like ozone' or referring to properties of the ozone gas; over time it has been used more generally to describe anything that resembles ozone in smell or oxidizing character, a usage that remains today.