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Favor

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favor¹

  • /ˈfeɪ.və/ UK
  • /ˈfeɪ.vɚ/ US

Rhymes with -eɪvə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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.

noun favors · favour

  1. 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.
  2. countable, uncountable Goodwill; benevolent regard. She enjoyed the queen's favor.
  3. countable, uncountable A small gift; a party favor. wedding favor
  4. countable, uncountable Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity. I could not discover the lenity and favour of this sentence.
  5. countable, uncountable The object of regard; person or thing favoured. All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, / His chief delight and favour.
  6. countable, obsolete, uncountable Appearance; look; countenance; face. This boy is fair, of female favour.
  7. countable, uncountable Partiality; bias
  8. 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.
  9. Northern England, archaic, countable, uncountable A resemblance, likeness.
  10. 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.
  11. countable, historical, uncountable A ribbon or similar small item that is worn as an adornment, especially in celebration of an event. 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

Similar: aid, help, lending a hand, token

verb favors · favoring · favored · favour

  1. To look upon fondly; to prefer. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
  2. To use more often. […] alone, without having to favor his right, uninjured leg, […]
  3. To encourage, conduce to These [boys being groomed as prostitutes] are sold by their parents (sometimes stolen from them), about the age of 4, and educated, while they are also subjected to a special physical training, which includes massage of the gluteal regions to favor development, dilatation of the anus, and epilation
  4. To do a favor [noun sense 1] for; to show beneficence toward. Would you favor us with a poetry reading?
  5. To resemble; especially, to look like (another person). I thought—it doesn't matter—you seemed to favour your ma,
  6. To treat or use (something) gently I always try to favor my bad knee.

Similar: abet, assist, endorse, favoritize, favourite, sanction

Favor²

proper noun Favors

  1. A surname.

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