diff --git a/pandas/core/dtypes/common.py b/pandas/core/dtypes/common.py
index 3f4ebc88c1c8a..2a46d335ff512 100644
--- a/pandas/core/dtypes/common.py
+++ b/pandas/core/dtypes/common.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
     is_re_compilable,
     is_scalar,
     is_sequence,
-    is_string_like,
 )
 
 from pandas._typing import ArrayLike
@@ -1383,8 +1382,8 @@ def is_numeric_v_string_like(a, b):
     is_a_string_array = is_a_array and is_string_like_dtype(a)
     is_b_string_array = is_b_array and is_string_like_dtype(b)
 
-    is_a_scalar_string_like = not is_a_array and is_string_like(a)
-    is_b_scalar_string_like = not is_b_array and is_string_like(b)
+    is_a_scalar_string_like = not is_a_array and isinstance(a, str)
+    is_b_scalar_string_like = not is_b_array and isinstance(b, str)
 
     return (
         (is_a_numeric_array and is_b_scalar_string_like)
diff --git a/pandas/core/dtypes/inference.py b/pandas/core/dtypes/inference.py
index e69e703f3a96c..61fa7940c1bce 100644
--- a/pandas/core/dtypes/inference.py
+++ b/pandas/core/dtypes/inference.py
@@ -67,30 +67,6 @@ def is_number(obj):
     return isinstance(obj, (Number, np.number))
 
 
-def is_string_like(obj):
-    """
-    Check if the object is a string.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    obj : The object to check
-
-    Examples
-    --------
-    >>> is_string_like("foo")
-    True
-    >>> is_string_like(1)
-    False
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    is_str_like : bool
-        Whether `obj` is a string or not.
-    """
-
-    return isinstance(obj, str)
-
-
 def _iterable_not_string(obj):
     """
     Check if the object is an iterable but not a string.
diff --git a/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py b/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
index e5cecd090e061..2d0ecf1b936da 100644
--- a/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
+++ b/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
     is_integer,
     is_list_like,
     is_scalar,
-    is_string_like,
 )
 from pandas.core.dtypes.concat import concat_compat
 from pandas.core.dtypes.dtypes import DatetimeTZDtype
@@ -1659,7 +1658,7 @@ def bdate_range(
         msg = "freq must be specified for bdate_range; use date_range instead"
         raise TypeError(msg)
 
-    if is_string_like(freq) and freq.startswith("C"):
+    if isinstance(freq, str) and freq.startswith("C"):
         try:
             weekmask = weekmask or "Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri"
             freq = prefix_mapping[freq](holidays=holidays, weekmask=weekmask)
diff --git a/pandas/core/series.py b/pandas/core/series.py
index 7b65816dc06b9..73a05b4cdfa66 100644
--- a/pandas/core/series.py
+++ b/pandas/core/series.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
     is_list_like,
     is_object_dtype,
     is_scalar,
-    is_string_like,
     is_timedelta64_dtype,
 )
 from pandas.core.dtypes.generic import (
@@ -4539,7 +4538,7 @@ def to_csv(self, *args, **kwargs):
             # passed as second argument (while the first is the same)
             maybe_sep = args[1]
 
-            if not (is_string_like(maybe_sep) and len(maybe_sep) == 1):
+            if not (isinstance(maybe_sep, str) and len(maybe_sep) == 1):
                 # old signature
                 warnings.warn(
                     "The signature of `Series.to_csv` was aligned "
diff --git a/pandas/core/strings.py b/pandas/core/strings.py
index f1a67d0892cad..7194d1cf08e4a 100644
--- a/pandas/core/strings.py
+++ b/pandas/core/strings.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
     is_list_like,
     is_re,
     is_scalar,
-    is_string_like,
 )
 from pandas.core.dtypes.generic import (
     ABCDataFrame,
@@ -601,7 +600,7 @@ def str_replace(arr, pat, repl, n=-1, case=None, flags=0, regex=True):
     """
 
     # Check whether repl is valid (GH 13438, GH 15055)
-    if not (is_string_like(repl) or callable(repl)):
+    if not (isinstance(repl, str) or callable(repl)):
         raise TypeError("repl must be a string or callable")
 
     is_compiled_re = is_re(pat)
diff --git a/pandas/io/formats/style.py b/pandas/io/formats/style.py
index 9865087a26ae3..dce0afd8670b2 100644
--- a/pandas/io/formats/style.py
+++ b/pandas/io/formats/style.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from pandas.compat._optional import import_optional_dependency
 from pandas.util._decorators import Appender
 
-from pandas.core.dtypes.common import is_float, is_string_like
+from pandas.core.dtypes.common import is_float
 
 import pandas as pd
 from pandas.api.types import is_dict_like, is_list_like
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ def _get_level_lengths(index, hidden_elements=None):
 
 
 def _maybe_wrap_formatter(formatter):
-    if is_string_like(formatter):
+    if isinstance(formatter, str):
         return lambda x: formatter.format(x)
     elif callable(formatter):
         return formatter