favor

American  

[fay-ver] / ˈfeɪ vər /

especially British, favour

noun

• favors
  plural

1. something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act.

   to ask a favor.

2. friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill.

   to win the favor of the king.

   Antonyms:

   malice, animosity

3. the state of being approved or held in regard.

   to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.

4. excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment.

   to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.

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

   Synonyms:

   present

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

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

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

9. Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to regard with favor.

   to favor an enterprise.

   Synonyms:

   sanction, countenance, approve

   Antonyms:

   disapprove

2. to prefer; treat with partiality.

   The father favored his younger son.

3. to show favor to; oblige.

   The king favored him with an audience.

   Synonyms:

   patronize, encourage

4. to be favorable to; facilitate.

   The wind favored their journey.

5. to deal with, treat, or use gently.

   to favor a lame leg.

6. to aid or support.

   He favored his party's cause with ample funds.

   Synonyms:

   assist, help

7. to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble.

   to favor one's father's side of the family.

idioms

1. in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage.

   All the comments were in your favor.

2. in favor of,

   1. on the side of; in support of.

      to be in favor of reduced taxation.

   2. to the advantage of.

   3. (of a check, draft, etc.) payable to.

      Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.

3. find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by.

   The play found favor with the opening-night audience.

4. 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.

favor More Idioms  

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

---

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• favorer
  noun
• prefavor
  noun
• overfavor
  verb (used with object)
• unfavoring
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• favors
  plural

---

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

---

Explanation

A favor is an act of kindness, like doing your friend a favor by letting her borrow your calculator to take the big math test. Favor can be used as a noun: an advantage, like having experience in your favor when you apply for a job; a nice gesture, like giving your friend a ride to school; or a party favor, a little gift you get at a party. As a verb, favor means "like the most," like foods you favor, or "treat gently," like favoring your right leg when walking because it hurts to put weight on it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

favor favors

What Musk once described as Tesla’s “best ever” product will now be sidelined in favor of a focus on autonomous vehicles.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

The number of plaintiffs who opted out of the settlement is subject to change, since some revoked their initial requests after recent rulings in favor of the company, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

But that’s hard to see when the internet has built such a wide chasm between people, reducing the impact of writing in favor of scrolling.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Perhaps they decide that the close scrutiny I’d favor is just too much effort and don’t advance anyone.

From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026

A man at the bar told Ellsberg that when his trial began, local bookmakers had set the odds at four-to-one in favor of the prosecution.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

For people trying to navigate changing nutrition recommendations and conflicting health messages, Anderson favors a practical approach rather than complicated dietary rules.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026

But Graham, a novice politician, did herself no favors.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026

While acknowledging previous shocks like Liberation Day and the start of the Iranian crisis saw the sector go lower still, the risk-reward profile now favors an overweight call, says the team.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

Eisenkot also supports a tough approach against foes like Iran, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon—though he says he favors turning military victories into diplomatic achievements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

On Sunday morning, Amá makes me help her with the party favors.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• accept
• advocate
• appreciate
• approve
• back
• champion
• choose
• encourage
• endorse
• pick
• praise
• support

---