favor

plural favors · alternative Commonwealth Ireland favour

1. countableuncountableA kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).

   He did me a favor when he took the time to drive me home.

   Synonyms: service

2. countableuncountableGoodwill; benevolent regard.

   to fall out of favor

   3 more examples

   She enjoyed the queen's favor.

   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

   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

3. countableuncountableA small gift; a party favor.

   wedding favor

   4 more examples

   At the holiday dinner, the hosts had set a favor by each place setting.

   A marriage favour is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.

   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]

   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

4. countableuncountableMildness 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)

5. countableuncountableThe 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

6. countableobsoleteuncountableAppearance; 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]

7. countableuncountablelawPartiality; bias
8. archaiccountableuncountableA 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

9. Northern EnglandarchaiccountableuncountableA resemblance, likeness.
10. countableobsoleteuncountableAnything 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

11. countablehistoricaluncountableA ribbon or similar small item that is worn as an adornment, especially in celebration of an event.

    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

    4 more examples

    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

    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

    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

    […] 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

present singular third person favors · participle present favoring · participle past favored · past favored · alternative Commonwealth Ireland 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.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:28

   1 more example

   Even in an era when individuality in dress is a cult, his clothes were noticeable. He was wearing a hard hat of the low round kind favoured by hunting men, and with it a black duffle-coat lined with white.

   1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

2. To use more often.

   […] alone, without having to favor his right, uninjured leg, […]

   2007, Bert Casper, Shadow Upon the Dream: Book 1: Barrûn, page 537

3. To encourage, conduce to

   1 more example

   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 (which is not, however, practised by Chinese women).

   1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6)

4. To do a favor [noun sense 1] for; to show beneficence toward.

   Would you favor us with a poetry reading?

   1 more example

   This account, which further favours us with the exact dimensions of the ark in cubits and the exact day of the week and of the month when the passengers got aboard, is derived from an Arabic manuscript found in […]

   1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 146

5. including Southern US and CajunTo resemble; especially, to look like (another person).

   I thought—it doesn't matter—you seemed to favour your ma,

   1896, Rudyard Kipling, The Mary Gloster

   4 more examples

   You’re complected like your pa. He had red hair. But you favor your ma in your eyes and mouth.

   1915, L. M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

   ‘Mandy?’ he said, and stared at the girl. ‘Don't favor her too much.’ ‘Favors her dad,’ Latha said, and looked at him.

   1970, Donald Harington, Lightning Bug

   […] chamomile and apples? Those particular smellalikes tested our imagination. Yet much of what he said was right on the mark. The scent of sweet peas, for instance, does indeed favor that of wisteria.

   1989, Rayford Clayton Reddell, Robert Galyean, Growing Fragrant Plants, page 13

   The way things repeat themselves, across time — not just in the replications and recombinations of family and place ("He favors his momma, she favors her daddy"), but in the accretion of like patterns […]

   2012, Rick Bass, A Thousand Deer: Four Generations of Hunting and the Hill Country, →ISBN, page 63

6. To treat or use (something) gently

   I always try to favor my bad knee.

plural Favors

1. A surname.