N1
如く・如き・如し
ごとく・ごとき・ごとし
Like, Similar to, As if, The same as
風邪ごときで休んでいる余裕など私にはない。
I can't afford to take a break just because of something like a cold.
Explanation
「如く・如き・如し」 has 2 uses
1Like, as if
A classical way to say ようだ: "like, as if". 如し ends a sentence, 如く goes before a verb, 如き before a noun.
彼女の動きはバレリーナの如し。
Her movements are like those of a ballet dancer.
竜に翼を得たる如し。
It is as if a dragon had wings.
2A mere ...
ごとき right after a person or thing means "a mere ..., the likes of ...", used to put yourself down or look down on someone.
風邪ごときで休んでいる余裕など私にはない。
I can't afford to take a break just because of something like a cold.
私ごときにこんな大役が務まるでしょうか。
Can someone like me really handle such an important role?
Mixed up with
「ごとし」 = 「ようだ」, 「ごとく」 = 「ように」, 「ごとき」 = 「ような」.
After a verb a 「が」 is often inserted: 「裏切られたかのごとく」.
The contemptuous 「私ごとき」, 「子供ごとき」 often goes with 「など」 or 「なんか」, a common exam point about attitude.
「前述のごとく」 (as stated above) is a fixed phrase in papers and reports.