Meanings
comparative more favourite · superlative most favourite · superlative favouritemost · nonstandard superlative favouritest · alternative US favorite
- CommonwealthIrelandUKsuperlativeMost-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.)
This is my favourite day!
3 more examples
I saw a hilariously funny movie with all of my favourite comedians in it.
The Nanny is one of Pippa's favourite shows, but tonight the pleasure of mindlessly blobbing out in her usual Sunday-laid-back-luxury style...
2004, Brigid Lowry, Guitar Highway RoseThen there are the characters Rudd describes as “the full-on buffoons”, such as reporter Brian Fantana in Anchorman, who gives names to his testicles and – still my favourite Rudd performance – Andy the obnoxious summer camp counsellor in cult 2001 comedy Wet Hot American Summer, which is being revived on Netflix this summer, in which Rudd will co-star alongside original cast members including Poehler and Bradley Cooper.
2015 July 9, Hadley Freeman, “Paul Rudd on Ant-Man, being Hollywood’s go-to nice guy and growing up with English parents in Kansas”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 01 Mar 2018Antonyms: least favorite, unfavourite, unfavorite
- CommonwealthIrelandUKpositivehigh-register or archaicLiked, cherished.
What joy has this dog in miſchief!—More than I can have in the completion of my moſt favourite purpoſes!
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter VII. Mr. Lovelace. In Continuation.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 87
plural favourites · alternative US favorite
- CommonwealthIrelandUKA person or thing who enjoys special regard or favour.
The teacher's favourite always went first.
Synonyms: first love · Antonyms: unfavourite, unfavorite
- CommonwealthIrelandUKA contestant or competitor thought most likely to win.
She's the favourite, she'll probably be elected.
2 more examples
You were my favourite to win the spelling competition.
Netherlands, one of the pre-tournament favourites, combined their undoubted guile, creativity, pace and attacking quality with midfield grit and organisation.
2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0 – 1 Denmark”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2016 - CommonwealthInternetIrelandUKA bookmark on a web browser or website.
- CommonwealthIrelandUKin pluralA short curl dangling over the temples, fashionable in the reign of Charles II.
the Favourites hang loose upon the Temples with a languishing Lock in the middle
1701, George Farquhar, Sir Harry Wildair
present singular third person favourites · participle present favouriting · participle past favourited · past favourited · alternative US favorite
- CommonwealthIrelandUKTo favour.
- CommonwealthInternetIrelandUKTo bookmark.
- CommonwealthInternetIrelandUKTo add to one's list of favourite items on a website that allows users to compile such lists.
Antonyms: unfavourite, unfavorite
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveMost-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.)
nounA person or thing who enjoys special regard or favour.
verbTo add to one's list of favourite items on a website that allows users to compile such lists.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivepreferred above all others and treated with partiality
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂weh₁yetider.?
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰew-der.?
- Latinfaveō
- Latinfavor
- Italianfavore
- Italianfavorire
- Italianfavorito
- Old Frenchfavorit
- Italianfavorito
- Middle Frenchfavorit
- Englishfavourite
Attested from the 1580s, borrowed from Middle French favorit, from Old French favorit or Italian favorito (“favoured, favourite”), past participle of Italian favorire (“to favor”), from favore, from Latin favor (“good will, favor”), from the verb faveō (“to favour”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Doublet of favori.
More words from Middle French, Old French, Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans gunsteling
- gunstelingpreferred
Arabic مُفَضَّل
- مُفَضَّل (mufaḍḍal)preferred
Bulgarian предпочи́тан, люби́м
- предпочи́тан (predpočítan)preferred
- люби́м (ljubím)preferred
- люби́мец (ljubímec)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- фавори́т (favorít)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- люби́мец (ljubímec)person who is preferred or trusted above all others
- фавори́т (favorít)contestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Catalan favorit, preferit
- favoritpreferred
- preferitpreferred
- favoritperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Chinese Mandarin 最喜愛的 /最喜爱的, 最喜歡的 /最喜欢的
- 最喜愛的 /最喜爱的 (zuì xǐ'ài de)preferred
- 最喜歡的 /最喜欢的 (zuì xǐhuan de)preferred
- 寵兒 /宠儿 (chǒng'ér)person who enjoys special regard or favour
Czech nejoblíbenější
- nejoblíbenějšípreferred
Danish yndlings-
- yndlings-preferred
Dutch favoriet, lievelings-
- favorietpreferred
- lievelings-preferred
- geliefkoostpreferred
- favorietperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favorietcontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Esperanto plej ŝatata, plej preferata
- plej ŝatatapreferred
- plej preferatapreferred
Estonian lemmik
- lemmikpreferred
Finnish lempi-, mieli-
- lempi-preferred
- mieli-preferred
- lempparipreferred
- lellikkiperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- suosikkiperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- suosikkiperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- ennakkosuosikkicontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- suosikkicontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
French préféré, favori
- préférépreferred
- favoripreferred
- favoriperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favoriperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- favoricontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
German Lieblings-, liebster
- Lieblings-preferred
- liebsterpreferred
- bevorzugterpreferred
- Lieblingperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- Favoritperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- Lieblingperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- Favoritperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- Favoritcontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Greek αγαπημένος, ευνοούμενος
- αγαπημένος (agapiménos)preferred
- ευνοούμενος (evnooúmenos)preferred
- φαβορί (favorí)contestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Hebrew מועדף \ מָעֳדָף, רָצוּי
- מועדף \ מָעֳדָף (mo'odáf)preferred
- רָצוּי (ratsúi)preferred
Hindi पसंदीदा
- पसंदीदा (pasandīdā)preferred
Hungarian kedvenc, kedvenc
- kedvencpreferred
- kedvencperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- kivételezett (személy)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- kegyeltperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- üdvöskeperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- favoritcontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- esélyescontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- kedvencek közé felvesz/mentto add to favourites
- kedvencekhez hozzáad/felveszto add to favourites
Icelandic uppáhalds-
- uppáhalds-preferred
Indonesian kesukaan, favorit
- kesukaanpreferred
- favoritperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Italian preferito, favorito
- preferitopreferred
- favoritopreferred
- amatopreferred
- favoritoperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favoritocontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Japanese お気に入りの, 最も好きな
- お気に入りの (o-ki-ni-iri-no)preferred
- 最も好きな (mottomo-suki-na)preferred
- 大好きな (dai-suki na)preferred
- お気に入り (okiniiri)person who enjoys special regard or favour
Korean 제일 좋아하는, 가장 좋아하는
- 제일 좋아하는 (jeil joahaneun)preferred
- 가장 좋아하는 (gajang joahaneun)preferred
- 최애 (choeae)preferred
Latvian mīļākais
- mīļākaispreferred
Malay kegemaran
- kegemaranpreferred
Māori rorotu, makau
- rorotupreferred
- makauperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- paruhiperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Norwegian favoritt, yndlings
- favorittpreferred
- yndlingspreferred
Persian مورد علاقه, محبوب
- مورد علاقه (mowred-e 'alâqe)preferred
- محبوب (mahbub)preferred
- سوگلی (sowgoli)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- سوگلی (sowgoli)person who is preferred or trusted above all others
Polish ulubiony, ulubieniec
- ulubionypreferred
- ulubieniecperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- ulubienicaperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- beniaminekperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- pupilperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- faworytcontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Portuguese favorito, preferido
- favoritopreferred
- preferidopreferred
- prediletopreferred
- favoritoperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favoritoperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
- favoritocontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- favoritarto add to favourites
Romanian favorit, favorită
- favoritpreferred
- favorităpreferred
- favoritperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favorităperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Russian люби́мый, излю́бленный
- люби́мый (ljubímyj)preferred
- излю́бленный (izljúblennyj)preferred
- люби́мец (ljubímec)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- фавори́т (favorít)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- фавори́тка (favorítka)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- люби́мчик (ljubímčik)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- фавори́т (favorít)contestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- фавори́тка (favorítka)contestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Slovak obľúbený
- obľúbenýpreferred
Spanish favorito, preferido
- favoritopreferred
- preferidopreferred
- predilectopreferred
- ganchitopreferred
- favoritoperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Swahili kipenzi
- kipenziperson who is preferred or trusted above all others
Swedish favorit-, älsklings-
- favorit-preferred
- älsklings-preferred
- favoritperson who enjoys special regard or favour
- favoritcontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
- favoritmarkerato add to favourites
Turkish en sevdiği, gözde
- en sevdiğipreferred
- gözdepreferred
- favoripreferred
- gözdecontestant or competitor thought most likely to win
Ukrainian улю́блений, люби́мий
- улю́блений (uljúblenyj)preferred
- люби́мий (ljubýmyj)preferred
- улю́бленець (uljúblenecʹ)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- улю́бленик (uljúblenyk)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- укоха́нець (ukoxánecʹ)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- лю́бленець (ljúblenecʹ)person who enjoys special regard or favour
- фавори́т (favorýt)person who enjoys special regard or favour
Urdu پسندیدہ, دل پسند
- پسندیدہ (pasandīda)preferred
- دل پسند (dil-pasand)preferred
Vietnamese được ưa thích
- được ưa thíchpreferred
Welsh ffefryn
- ffefrynperson who enjoys special regard or favour
Yiddish באַליבט
- באַליבט (balibt)preferred
Cite this entry
favourite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favourite
“favourite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favourite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “favourite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favourite.
Source: favourite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.