favor

[ fey-ver ]

/ ˈfeɪ vər /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR favor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act: to ask a favor.

friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill: to win the favor of the king.

the state of being approved or held in regard: to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.

excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment: to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.

a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.

a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.

a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.

Usually favors. sexual intimacy, especially as permitted by a woman.

Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.

verb (used with object)

to regard with favor: to favor an enterprise.

to prefer; treat with partiality: The father favored his younger son.

to show favor to; oblige: The king favored him with an audience.

to be favorable to; facilitate: The wind favored their journey.

to deal with, treat, or use gently: to favor a lame leg.

to aid or support: He favored his party's cause with ample funds.

to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble: to favor one's father's side of the family.

Nearby words

Idioms

find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by: The play found favor with the opening-night audience.

in favor of,

on the side of; in support of: to be in favor of reduced taxation.
to the advantage of.
(of a check, draft, etc.) payable to: Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.

in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage: All the comments were in your favor.

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.

Also especially British, fa·vour.

Origin of favor

1250–1300; Middle English favo(u)r < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin favōr- (stem of favor) goodwill, equivalent to fav(ēre) to be favorably inclined + -ōr- -or¹

SYNONYMS FOR favor

2 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.

5 present.

10 approve, countenance, sanction.

12 encourage, patronize.

15 help, assist.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR favor ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR favor

2 animosity, malice.

10 disapprove.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR favor ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsfa·vor·er, nouno·ver·fa·vor, verb (used with object)pre·fa·vor, noun, verb (used with object)un·fa·vor·ing, adjective

Examples from the Web for favor

Thirty-six percent were in favor and 38 percent were opposed.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Finally, he takes us behind the scenes into how Obama came out in favor of marriage equality that same year.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Were the smugglers doing you a favor making it nearly impossible to bring any hope?
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I'm pleased with my decision to avoid the routine script problems in favor of the spicy stuff.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Then he was returned to the same unit to face his debts; the drug dealer asked for this favor and got it.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The question was put for engrossing the bill for a third reading, and carried, there being fifty votes in favor of it.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)|Thomas Hart Benton
The Official Board decided in favor of the School, and an alienation of feeling was the result.
Thirty Years in the Itinerancy|Wesson Gage Miller
He was always cheerful, ready to do any one a favor, and was generous to a fault.
Frank Before Vicksburg|Harry Castlemon
Methinks you, by your native qualities, are as well entitled to her favor as ever your progenitor could have been.
The Marble Faun, Volume II.|Nathaniel Hawthorne
One was in favor of removal to the Western lands, and the other was opposed to removal.
Stories Of Georgia|Joel Chandler Harris

Word Origin and History for favor (1 of 2)

favor

c.1300, "attractiveness, charm," from Old French favor (13c., Modern French faveur) "favor, approval, partiality," from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to," from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worship." Meaning "act of kindness" is from late 14c. Meaning "thing given as a mark of favor" is from 1580s. Phrase in favor of recorded from 1560s.

Word Origin and History for favor (1 of 2)

favor

"to regard with favor, indulge, treat with partiality," mid-14c., from Old French favorer, from favor (see favor (n.)). Related: Favored; favoring.

Idioms and Phrases with favor

favor

see curry favor; in favor of; in favor with; in one's favor; out of favor; return the compliment (favor).

favor

noun

verb (used with object)

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Idioms

Origin of favor

Examples from the Web for favor

Word Origin and History for favor (1 of 2)

favor

Word Origin and History for favor (1 of 2)

favor

Idioms and Phrases with favor

favor