favour
favour — noun
1. a feeling or public expression of support, approval, or positive regard for a pe
a feeling or public expression of support, approval, or positive regard for a person, group, or idea
The mayor won the favour of local businesses by lowering their taxes.
won the favour of — gained support from
The new policy found favour among teachers because it reduced their paperwork.
found favour among — was approved by
Soraya nodded her head as a sign of favour toward the proposal.
The public's favour shifted away from the ruling party after the scandal broke.
- approval
more formal; focuses on official or public acceptance
- backing
emphasises active, often material, support
- endorsement
formal public declaration of support
- disapproval
the opposite of approval or positive regard
- opposition
active resistance against someone or something
文法句型
in favour
find favour with
show favour to
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to support or approval as a general concept. The expression 'in favour' means 'supported or approved' and is very common in both formal and informal contexts.
常見錯誤
2. the state of actively supporting a particular plan, person, or course of action,
the state of actively supporting a particular plan, person, or course of action, especially when choices are being made
Most committee members were in favour of building a new library in the town centre.
in favour of — actively supporting a proposal
Ryo voted in favour of the motion to increase the school budget.
voted in favour of — cast a supporting vote
The judge decided in favour of the tenant in the rent dispute.
Several members spoke in favour of the plan before the final vote.
Sumin turned down the job offer in favour of a position closer to home.
- supporting
more direct; 'support' can be used in the same contexts
- in support of
slightly more formal, same meaning
- against
the opposite of supporting a proposal
- opposed to
formal expression of being against something
文法句型
be in favour of [something]
in favour of [doing something]
用法筆記
Always appears in the fixed phrase 'in favour of'. The phrase can express support ('voted in favour of') or preference/chosen alternative ('rejected X in favour of Y'). Distinguish from noun sense 3 'in your favour', which means 'giving you an advantage'.
常見錯誤
3. a situation or set of conditions that gives one person or group a better chance
a situation or set of conditions that gives one person or group a better chance of success than others
The wind was in our favour during the sailing race across the lake.
in our favour — conditions helping us
The referee's decision went in favour of the home team, which upset the visitors.
went in favour of — decision that benefits
Lotte got promoted right after finishing her degree — the timing worked in her favour.
The strong economy tipped the election in favour of the current government.
- disadvantage
a condition that works against someone
- against
when conditions are not in your favour
文法句型
in [somebody's] favour
in favour of [somebody]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 ('in favour of' — supporting a proposal). In this sense, the phrase 'in X's favour' describes a condition or decision that benefits someone, not their opinion. Common expressions: 'rule in favour of', 'the odds are in your favour', 'count in your favour'.
常見錯誤
4. a court's judgment that one side in a legal case has the stronger argument and h
a court's judgment that one side in a legal case has the stronger argument and has won the case
The Supreme Court found in favour of the factory workers, awarding them full compensation.
found in favour of — court ruled for someone
Esteban's lawyer was confident the judge would rule in favour of his client.
The tribunal ruled in favour of the defendant, rejecting the appeal against the original decision.
A judgment in favour of the landlord set a new standard for lease disputes.
文法句型
find in favour of
judgment in favour of
rule in favour of
用法筆記
In legal contexts, 'favour' in the phrase 'in favour of' is uncountable and always singular. The verb 'find' in legal English means 'to decide or declare formally'. Common in court reports and legal news.
常見錯誤
5. something helpful you freely do for another person, asked or unasked, without be
something helpful you freely do for another person, asked or unasked, without being paid for it
Christopher did his neighbour a favour by watering her plants while she was away.
did his neighbour a favour — performed a helpful act
Could you do me a favour and hold the door open for a moment?
Aylin asked her colleague a small favour: could she borrow his notebook for the afternoon?
I owe you a favour for helping me move the furniture last weekend.
When Tara returned from holiday, she returned the favour by bringing gifts for everyone.
- disservice
an action that causes harm or inconvenience
文法句型
do [somebody] a favour
ask a favour
return a favour
用法筆記
This is the most common everyday sense of 'favour'. The phrase 'do me/us a favour' is also used ironically in British English to express disbelief or annoyance ('Do me a favour — he never said that!'). Countable: one favour, two favours.
常見錯誤
6. special treatment — money, jobs, or chances — given to somebody while others rec
special treatment — money, jobs, or chances — given to somebody while others receive less, which creates the appearance of unfairness
The manager was accused of showing favour to his friends when assigning the best projects.
showing favour to — giving unfair advantage
Lucía complained that the scholarships were awarded with favour rather than on merit.
awarded with favour — given based on personal bias
The company's promotion process was designed to operate without fear or favour.
Critics said the tax cut showed favour toward large corporations over small businesses.
- bias
stronger negative connotation; a systematic prejudice
- favouritism
the noun for the practice of treating some people better than others unfairly
- partiality
formal term for unfair preference
- fairness
treating everyone equally without bias
- impartiality
formal; not favouring any side
文法句型
show favour to
with favour
without fear or favour
用法筆記
This sense carries a negative or critical tone — it implies the advantage is undeserved or the process is dishonest. The fixed expression 'without fear or favour' (meaning 'completely fairly') is the only positive use of this sense.
常見錯誤
7. a token present given to everybody at a wedding or celebration as a "thank-you"
a token present given to everybody at a wedding or celebration as a "thank-you" for coming
Each guest received a small box of chocolates as a party favour at the wedding.
party favour — small gift at a celebration
Shirin spent the weekend making handmade soaps to use as wedding favours.
wedding favours — gifts given to wedding guests
The children's party favours included a small toy and a bag of sweets.
Lucas placed a favour with a ribbon tied around it at each guest's seat.
Instead of party favours, the hosts donated money to a local charity.
文法句型
party favour
wedding favour
用法筆記
Especially common in wedding and children's party planning. Often used in the plural 'favours' when referring to the gifts collectively. In American English, 'party favor' is spelled without the 'u'.
favour — verb
1. to choose or support one option, person, or side over others because you think i
to choose or support one option, person, or side over others because you think it is better or more suitable
Most parents favour schools that have smaller class sizes and better teachers.
favour [something] — choose one option as better
Eitan favoured the blue sofa over the grey one because it was more comfortable.
favoured X over Y — expressed preference between options
The committee favoured investing in renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.
Élise favours working from home because it saves her two hours of travel each day.
When choosing a restaurant, the group favoured the one with the outdoor terrace.
- prefer
slightly stronger sense of personal choice; can take infinitive ('prefer to do')
- lean towards
more tentative; indicates a gentle preference
- advocate
stronger; means to publicly support a cause or policy
文法句型
favour + noun phrase
favour + [gerund]
favour + noun over + noun
用法筆記
Less strong than 'prefer' — 'favour' implies a leaning rather than a firm decision. Often used in voting, selection, and opinion contexts. The construction 'favour X over Y' is the most common pattern for expressing comparison.
常見錯誤
2. to give one person or group better treatment than others, especially when this i
to give one person or group better treatment than others, especially when this is unfair or undeserved
Teachers should not favour any student over the others in the classroom.
favour [someone] over [someone] — treat one person better unfairly
Sahil felt the team captain favoured the older players during practice matches.
The wealthy donors were favoured by the university when it came to scholarship decisions.
Amihan complained that the system favoured people who already had connections.
Critics argued the law favoured large companies over small family businesses.
- show favouritism to
more explicit about the unfairness involved
- bias toward
stronger negative connotation; prejudice
- privilege
to give special rights or advantages to someone
- discriminate against
the opposite of favouring someone — treating them worse
- neglect
to fail to give proper attention to someone
文法句型
favour + noun
be favoured
favour [someone] over [someone]
用法筆記
This sense often carries a negative judgment — the speaker believes the treatment is undeserved. Compare with verb sense 1 (PREFER), where the choice is based on legitimate reasons. This sense is frequently used in discussions about discrimination, nepotism, and bias.
常見錯誤
3. to avoid using or putting weight on an injured part of the body, such as a leg,
to avoid using or putting weight on an injured part of the body, such as a leg, arm, or foot, so that it can heal
Lucas was favouring his right ankle after twisting it during the football match.
favouring [body part] — protecting an injury
Tanvi walked slowly, favouring her left knee where she had surgery last month.
The old man favoured his back whenever he bent down to pick something up.
Naoko favoured her right hand all week after burning it on the stove.
文法句型
favour + body part
用法筆記
Primarily used in British English for body parts. In American English, 'favor' is also used but 'protect' or 'avoid using' are more common. The object is always a body part (knee, ankle, wrist, back, hand, etc.).
常見錯誤
4. to share the looks of an older family member such as a parent, especially favour
to share the looks of an older family member such as a parent, especially favouring one side of the family over the other
People often say that Jude favours his mother because they have the same smile.
favours his mother — looks like his mother
The baby girl favours her father with those bright blue eyes and dark hair.
Yuna definitely favours the Tanaka side of the family — she has her grandmother's nose.
Pim favours his uncle more than his father, especially when he smiles.
- take after
more common in American English; can also cover personality, not just looks
- resemble
more formal and neutral; works for any comparison, human or non-human
- differ from
to look different from a family member
文法句型
favour + family member
用法筆記
This sense is informal and used mainly in British and Irish English. In American English, 'take after' is far more common for physical resemblance. This sense never takes the passive voice and is not used with non-human subjects.