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.
Zimmer, the Kern County district attorney, did not ask for a favor, Youngblood said.
From Los Angeles Times
That court supported the idea in previous rulings, so it may rule in Elliott’s favor.
From Barron's
That court supported the idea in previous rulings, so it may rule in Elliott’s favor.
From Barron's
“Organizations are not eliminating people, but they are reducing reliance on manual analysis in favor of automation that operates at machine speed.”
Dupixent continues to drive growth in established indications and new approvals, while a deal on most favored nation pricing is anticipated.
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.
