favor
Americannoun
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something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act.
to ask a favor.
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friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill.
to win the favor of the king.
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the state of being approved or held in regard.
to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.
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excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment.
to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.
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a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.
- Synonyms:
- present
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a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.
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a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.
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Usually favors. sexual intimacy, especially as permitted by a woman.
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Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.
verb (used with object)
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to regard with favor.
to favor an enterprise.
- Synonyms:
- sanction, countenance, approve
- Antonyms:
- disapprove
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to prefer; treat with partiality.
The father favored his younger son.
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to show favor to; oblige.
The king favored him with an audience.
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to be favorable to; facilitate.
The wind favored their journey.
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to deal with, treat, or use gently.
to favor a lame leg.
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to aid or support.
He favored his party's cause with ample funds.
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to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble.
to favor one's father's side of the family.
idioms
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in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage.
All the comments were in your favor.
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in favor of,
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on the side of; in support of.
to be in favor of reduced taxation.
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to the advantage of.
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(of a check, draft, etc.) payable to.
Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.
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find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by.
The play found favor with the opening-night audience.
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out of favor, no longer liked or approved; no longer popular or fashionable.
He's out of favor with the president and may soon be fired.
Related Words
Favor, goodwill imply a kindly regard or friendly disposition shown by an individual or group. Favor may be merely an attitude of mind: to look with favor on a proposal. Goodwill is more active and leads often to outward manifestations of friendly approval: By frequent applause the audience showed its goodwill toward the speaker.
Other Word Forms
- favorer noun
- overfavor verb (used with object)
- prefavor noun
- unfavoring adjective
Etymology
Origin of favor
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English favo(u)r, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin favōr- (stem of favor ) “goodwill,” derivative of favēre “to be favorably inclined” + -ōr- -or 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And this isn’t the first time that Charles Dow’s brainchild has fallen out of favor.
Part of what has boosted the industry is younger generations’ penchant for “fragrance wardrobes,” with a scent to suit every mood, rather than the one or two signature perfumes favored by older generations.
From MarketWatch
“Active traders can and do migrate between hot stocks and sectors, and when those sectors fall out of favor, they decline,” said Steve Sosnick, chief market strategist at Interactive Brokers.
From MarketWatch
Experts surveyed recently by the journal “Health Affairs” had mixed opinions on whether most favored nation pricing would affect prices.
From Barron's
As a result, companies that make physical things have been in favor instead.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
