favor Hear it!

favor definition

fa·vor (fā′vər)

noun

  1. friendly or kind regard; good will; approval; liking
  2. unfair partiality; favoritism
  3. a kind, obliging, friendly, or generous act to do someone a favor
  4. sexual privileges granted by a woman
    1. a small gift, souvenir, or token
    2. Archaic a token of love, as to a knight from a female admirer
  6. Archaic a business letter or note your favor of the 15th June
  7. Archaic
    1. appearance or look
    2. face or countenance
  8. Obsolete attractiveness; charm

Etymology: ME favour < OFr < L favor < favere, to favor < IE base *ghow-, to perceive > OE (ofer) gumian, to neglect, Czech hověti, to take precautions (with), spare

transitive verb

  1. to regard with favor; approve or like
  2. to be indulgent or too indulgent toward; be partial to; prefer unfairly
  3. to be for; support; advocate; endorse
  4. to make easier; help; assist rain favored his escape
  5. to do a kindness for
  6. to look like; resemble in facial features to favor one's mother
  7. to use gently; spare to favor an injured leg

Related Forms:

favor Idioms

find favor

to be regarded with favor; be pleasing to

in favor

favored; liked

in favor of

  1. approving; supporting; endorsing
  2. to the advantage of
  3. payable to, as a check, etc.

in someone's favor

to someone's advantage or credit

out of favor

no longer popular or a favorite; not liked

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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