favor en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin faveō Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *-ōs Proto-Italic *-ōs Latin -or Latin favor Old French favorbor. Middle English favour English favor From Middle English favour, favor, faver, from Anglo-Norman favour, from mainland Old French favor, from Latin favor (“good will; kindness; partiality”), from faveō (“to be kind to”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Respelled in American English to more closely match its Latin etymon. Compare also Danish favør (“favor”), Irish fabhar (“favor”), from the same Romance source.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).
He did me a favor when he took the time to drive me home.
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(countable, uncountable) Goodwill; benevolent regard.
She enjoyed the queen's favor.
Samara: She confuses her victims, twists their feelings. They will do anything for her favor.
2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2:Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady.[…]She looked around expectantly, and recognizing Mrs. Cooke's maid[…]Miss Thorn greeted her with a smile which greatly prepossessed us in her favor.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:to fall out of favor
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(countable, uncountable) A small gift; a party favor.
At the holiday dinner, the hosts had set a favor by each place setting.
The rain drove into the bride and bridegroom's faces as they passed to the chariot. The postilions' favours draggled on their dripping jackets.
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 22, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me and stick it in thy cap: when Alencon and myself were down together, I plucked this glove from his helm […]
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:wedding favor
A marriage favour is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
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(countable, uncountable) Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
I could not discover the lenity and favour of this sentence.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput):
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(countable, uncountable) The object of regard; person or thing favoured.
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, / His chief delight and favour.
1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Appearance; look; countenance; face.
This boy is fair, of female favour.
c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- (countable, uncountable) Partiality; bias
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) A letter, a written communication.
I will now take some notice of your last favour; but being so far behind-hand with you, must be brief.
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXVIII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:
- (Northern-England, archaic, countable, uncountable) A resemblance, likeness.
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Anything worn publicly as a pledge of a woman's favor.
James probably saw the family treasures, which included a little pair of gloves embroidered with pearls and the device of a lion, a lady's favour, said to have been taken from Harry Hotspur before the battle of Otterburn in 1388.
1977, K.M. Elizabeth Murray, Caught in the Web of Words, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 13:
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(countable, historical, uncountable) A ribbon or similar small item that is worn as an adornment, especially in celebration of an event.
Of all the new war cotillion favors yet devised there is hardly anything more novel than these. Aigrettes that are bunches of ribbons, red, white and blue, designed to be pinned in the hair at once, make up another favor.
1898, Melvin Ballou Gilbert, The Director - Volume 1, page 210:The bride favors, or true love knots, ancient symbols of love, faith, and friendship, pointing out the indisssoluble tie of affection and duty, did not, as might be supposed, take their name of true love knots from the words "true" and "love,", but from the Danish verb "Trulofa," that is, "I plight my troth of faith." These knots were formerly distributed in great abundance; were worn in the hats by gentlemen, and consisted of variously colored ribbons, which were chosen by the bride and her maids, sometimes after long and serious discussions.
1853 May, E.R. Bowen, “Bride-Maids and Bride-Cake”, in Peterson's Magazine, volume 23, number 5, page 306:[…] honor was bestowed upon the latter because he was the proud possessor of luxurious blond hair and had the most beautiful single curl tied with a ribbon. The lovelock was thereafter called a cadcnettc and the ribbon bowknots, favors.
2013, R. Turner Wilcox, The Mode in Hats and Headdress, page 109:We can and should borrow choice items, such as bell pads, favors and flowered hats , which can easily be adapted […]
1991, Anthony G. Barrand, Six Fools and a Dancer: The Timeless Way of the Morris, page 178:Since the good news young folk—and old, too, for that matter—bedeck themselves with favors. Charms hand pendent from the watch chain, from neck pins.
1900, “From Abroad”, in The International, volume 8, page 415:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| favors | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| favour | Commonwealth, Ireland, alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
harm · unfavor · disfavor · discrimination · sabotage
Deriveds
in favor with · in favor → in favor of · favor bank · sexual favor · may the odds be ever in your favor · unfavor · every good boy deserves favor · party favor · not do someone any favors · curry favor · favorite · kissing goes by favor · fall out of favor · in something's favor · return the favor · out of favor · without fear or favor · grace and favor · misfavor
Synonyms
service · aid · token · lending a hand · help
Translations (123)
vo plitod (kind or helpful deed) · sa राधस् (kind or helpful deed) · es favor (kind or helpful deed) · ga gar (kind or helpful deed) · de Huld (goodwill; benevolent regard) · hu kedvezés (kind or helpful deed) · ko 양보 (kind or helpful deed) · el εύνοια (goodwill; benevolent regard) · vo gön (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ko 부탁 (kind or helpful deed) · ja 好意 (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ru фаво́р (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ca servei (kind or helpful deed) · ga fabhar (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ota مساعده (kind or helpful deed) · nl dienst (kind or helpful deed) · cy cymwynas (kind or helpful deed) · eu fabore (kind or helpful deed) · ota منت (kind or helpful deed) · lad favor (kind or helpful deed) · hu kegy (goodwill; benevolent regard) · hi एहसान (kind or helpful deed) · it bomboniera (small gift) · gv foayr (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ko 도움 (kind or helpful deed) · ko 호의 (goodwill; benevolent regard) · nb tjeneste (kind or helpful deed) · sa वर (kind or helpful deed) · tl paki-usap (kind or helpful deed) · kk ықылас (goodwill; benevolent regard) · pl przysługa (kind or helpful deed) · vi ơn (kind or helpful deed) · kk шын пейіл (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fr faveur (goodwill; benevolent regard) · de Gnade (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ar مَعْرُوف (kind or helpful deed) · eo favoro (kind or helpful deed) · la venia (kind or helpful deed) · hu apró ajándék (small gift) · pt favor (kind or helpful deed) · da gunst (goodwill; benevolent regard) · da god vilje (goodwill; benevolent regard) · de Dienst (kind or helpful deed) · cmn 恩惠 (kind or helpful deed) · kk жақсылық (kind or helpful deed) · cs laskavost (kind or helpful deed) · bho एहसान (kind or helpful deed) · sq nder (kind or helpful deed) · tr iyilik (kind or helpful deed) · de Gefallen (kind or helpful deed) · ja 恩恵 (kind or helpful deed) · got 𐌰𐌽𐍃𐍄𐍃 (kind or helpful deed) · hu szívesség (kind or helpful deed) · ja 好意 (kind or helpful deed) · ja 贔屓 (kind or helpful deed) · ru любе́зность (kind or helpful deed) · sh ȕsluga (kind or helpful deed) · ru одолже́ние (kind or helpful deed) · ru услу́га (kind or helpful deed) · pdt Gonst (kind or helpful deed) · fi armo (mildness or mitigation of punishment) · ru благоскло́нность (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ro favoare (kind or helpful deed) · zdj fadhwila (kind or helpful deed) · he טוֹבָה (kind or helpful deed) · ja 寵愛 (kind or helpful deed) · enm favour (goodwill; benevolent regard) · da tjeneste (kind or helpful deed) · km គុណ (kind or helpful deed) · cy ffafr (kind or helpful deed) · sv tjänst (kind or helpful deed) · nl plezier (kind or helpful deed) · fi palvelus (kind or helpful deed) · ja 優遇 (kind or helpful deed) · hu pártfogás (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fi suosio (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ru расположе́ние (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fi suosikki (object of regard; person or thing favoured) · grc χάρις (kind or helpful deed) · kk ізгі ниет (goodwill; benevolent regard) · gl favor (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ca favor (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fi pikkulahja (small gift) · el χάρη (kind or helpful deed) · sl usluga (kind or helpful deed) · sh у̏слуга (kind or helpful deed) · es favor (goodwill; benevolent regard) · grc εὔνοια (goodwill; benevolent regard) · hu kegy (kind or helpful deed) · de Gunst (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ko 은혜 (kind or helpful deed) · de Aufmerksamkeit (small gift) · hu jóindulat (goodwill; benevolent regard) · mk услуга (kind or helpful deed) · cmn 幫忙 /帮忙 (kind or helpful deed) · nn teneste (kind or helpful deed) · cs přízeň (goodwill; benevolent regard) · uk прихи́льність (goodwill; benevolent regard) · be паслу́га (kind or helpful deed) · gl favor (kind or helpful deed) · nn tenest (kind or helpful deed) · lad hatir (kind or helpful deed) · eu mesede (kind or helpful deed) · uk послу́га (kind or helpful deed) · lb Gonscht (goodwill; benevolent regard) · kk жақсылық (goodwill; benevolent regard) · nl gunst (kind or helpful deed) · it favore (goodwill; benevolent regard) · be прыхі́льнасць (goodwill; benevolent regard) · ca favor (kind or helpful deed) · cs pozornost (small gift) · bg услу́га (kind or helpful deed) · sq nderim (goodwill; benevolent regard) · nl gunst (goodwill; benevolent regard) · it favore (kind or helpful deed) · de Gefälligkeit (kind or helpful deed) · cs pomoc (kind or helpful deed) · cmn 好意 (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fr faveur (kind or helpful deed) · cmn 好意 (kind or helpful deed) · sk láskavosť (kind or helpful deed) · sv gunst (goodwill; benevolent regard) · fi pöytälahja (small gift)