favour
/ˈfeɪvə
/(US favor)
noun
1 [mass noun] Approval, support, or liking for someone or something: training is looked upon with favour by many employers...
- The union leader observed that students had lost support and favour from members of the public as a result of their riotous and unruly behaviour.
- The emperor eventually became the ultimate patron, and as time went on, without his support and favour, even the most ambitious senator could not hold high office.
- Leaders in Europe should withdraw all favor and support from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause.
Synonyms
approval, approbation, commendation, esteem, goodwill, kindness, benevolence, friendliness
1.1Overgenerous preferential treatment: he was accused of showing favour to one of the players...
- Both sides of a trial seek bias in their own favour as, according to the film's ads, some cases ‘are too important to be left to juries’.
- His petition to the Scottish parliament accuses government bodies meant to regulate the fish farming industry of being biased in its favour.
- This pact is utterly one-sided-in Mexico's favor.
Synonyms
favouritism, bias, partiality, unfair preference, prejudice, partisanship, one-sidedness
1.2 [count noun] archaic A thing such as a badge or knot of ribbons that is given or worn as a mark of liking or support.
Synonyms
ribbon, rosette, badge;
token, token of affection, token of esteem;
keepsake, souvenir, memento
archaic remembrancer
2An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual: I’ve come to ask you a favour...
- Of course what they really meant was, ‘Do me a favour.’
- Do us a favour: Read this book and listen to this tape.
- Do us a favour, get a dictionary and look up what a gradient is.
Synonyms
good turn, service, kind act, good deed, act of kindness, kindness, courtesy, indulgence;
benefit, boon
2.1 (one's favours) dated Used with reference to a woman allowing a man to have sexual intercourse with her: she had granted her favours to him...
- The priest borrows the sum from the merchant and hands it to the wife, and the wife grants him her favours.
3 (also party favour) A small inexpensive gift given to guests at a party.Physicians are often enticed to attend these CME programs with free meals and other favors and gifts....
- When you're preparing the baby shower supplies, gifts and favors, the shower theme will practically tell you the best ideas to pick up.
- The tricky thing is to draw an appropriate line between a token gift or favor and a more substantial one.
verb [with object]
1Feel or show approval or preference for: slashing public spending is a policy that few politicians favour...
- It also approved a relaxation of some of the conditions attached to its initial approval and this again favoured the developer.
- The demand for UN approval is favoured by sections of the European ruling class and various antiwar groupings.
- Most of the people surveyed favor FDA regulation to approve product safety.
Synonyms
advocate, recommend, advise, subscribe to, approve of, look on with favour, be in favour of, support, back, champion;
campaign for, stand up for, argue for, press for, lobby for, urge, promote, espouse, endorse, sanction, vouch for
informal plug, push
preferred, favourite, recommended, chosen, choice, selected, most-liked, ideal, particular, special, pet
informal blue-eyed
1.1Give unfairly preferential treatment to: critics argued that the policy favoured the private sector...
- If you believe a club gets favoured treatment from the NRL, name the club?
- Nevertheless, it is widely believed that that current laws disproportionately and unfairly favour women.
- Critics claim that the Indian government unfairly favors the IITs when education dollars are doled out.
Synonyms
show favouritism towards, have a bias towards, treat with partiality, have as a favourite, think more highly of, hold in higher regard;
indulge, pamper, spoil
1.2Work to the advantage of: natural selection has favoured bats...
- The contrast is between a random sampling of gametes that leads to the fixation of selectively neutral alleles and natural selection favoring advantageous variations.
- In the competitive struggle for existence, creatures possessing advantageous mutations would be favoured, eventually evolving into new species.
- The ball blew all over the field and although it did favour the home side in the second half, they couldn't get the equalising goal.
Synonyms
benefit, be to the advantage of, be advantageous to, oblige, help, assist, aid, lend a hand to, advance, abet, succour, serve, be of service to, do someone a favour, meet the needs of
2 (favour someone with) (Often used in polite requests) give someone (something desired): please favour me with an answer...
- She favoured me with what might have been a fond glance, sighed a mega-cat sigh, and went back to sleep.
- Marlow favored us with what must seem like an enigmatic smile, but I knew better.
- Ariana favored Mae with one of her shark-like smiles.
Synonyms
oblige, accommodate, gratify, satisfy, humour, indulge, pander to, put oneself out for;
honour
3 dated or North American informal Resemble (a parent or other relative) in facial features: she’s pretty, and she favours you...
- I don't really know him so I was shocked to see how much he favors our grandfather and great-grandfather.
- Her very soft southern accent and her facial features favor those of her late father.
- He favors my mother and I think I got the best of my dad.
4Treat (an injured limb) gently, not putting one’s full weight on it: he favours his sore leg...
- Nicholas rose with some difficulty, favoring his injured leg, and began to make his way over to Erin just as Mr. Saturn did something by the wall.
- Floyd has been favoring the sore foot, which he says is always on his mind and is preventing him from getting the proper balance he needs at the plate.
- She appeared to be favoring a sore foot on floor exercise, finishing the event with a simple layout.
Phrases
do someone a favour
do someone no favours
in (or out of) favour
in one's favour
in favour of
Derivatives
favourer
- Great meetings are being held in which warm and angry words prevail by both favourers and denouncers of the measure, and petitions, pro and con, to both houses of parliament, are lying for signature in all parts of this town.
Origin
Middle English (in the noun sense 'liking, preference'): via Old French from Latin favor, from favere 'show kindness to' (related to fovere 'cherish').
The early sense was ‘liking, preference’. It comes via Old French from Latin favor, from favere ‘show kindness to’. In the late 16th century, a favour was something given as a sign of preference, a gift as a token of affection. An example of this is the favour worn conspicuously by medieval knights. Sometimes a ribbon or cockade worn at a ceremony such as at a wedding or coronation was known as a favour too. The feather in your cap would originally have been a favour.