favourite


Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

favourite

(ˈfeɪvərɪt; ˈfeɪvrɪt) or

favorite

adj
(prenominal) most liked; preferred above all others
n
1.
a. a person or thing regarded with especial preference or liking
b. (as modifier): a favourite book.
2. (Horse Racing) sport a competitor thought likely to win
3. (Computer Science) (pl) computing a place on certain browsers that allows internet users to list the addresses of websites they find and like with a click of the mouse so that they can revisit them merely by opening the list and clicking on the address
4. play favourites to display favouritism
[C16: from Italian favorito, from favorire to favour, from Latin favēre]

favourite

Your favourite thing or person of a particular type is the one you like most.

What is your favourite television programme?
Her favourite writer is Hans Christian Andersen.

Don't use 'most' with favourite. Don't say, for example, 'This is my most favourite book'. You say 'This is my favourite book'.

The American spelling of 'favourite' is favorite.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.favourite - a competitor thought likely to win
front-runner, favorite
challenger, competitor, contender, rival, competition - the contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was doing"
2.favourite - a special loved onefavourite - a special loved one      
darling, dearie, deary, ducky, favorite, pet
lover - a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
chosen - one who is the object of choice; who is given preference; "she was Mama's chosen"
macushla - (an Irish term of address expressing affection) darling
mollycoddle - a pampered darling; an effeminate man
teacher's pet - the teacher's favorite student
3.favourite - something regarded with special favor or likingfavourite - something regarded with special favor or liking; "that book is one of my favorites"
favorite
choice, pick, selection - the person or thing chosen or selected; "he was my pick for mayor"
Adj.1.favourite - appealing to the general public; "a favorite tourist attraction"
favorite
popular - regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public; "a popular tourist attraction"; "a popular girl"; "cabbage patch dolls are no longer popular"
2.favourite - preferred above all others and treated with partialityfavourite - preferred above all others and treated with partiality; "the favored child"
best-loved, favored, pet, preferent, preferred, favorite
loved - held dear; "his loved companion of many years"

favourite

adjective
1. preferred, favoured, best-loved, most-liked, special, choice, dearest, pet, esteemed, of choice, fave (informal) Her favourite writer is Charles Dickens.
noun
1. darling, pet, preference, blue-eyed boy (informal), pick, choice, dear, beloved, idol, fave (informal), teacher's pet, the apple of your eye He was a favourite of the King.
2. front runner The favourite is expected to be the local horse.
Translations
مُفَضَّلالمُفَضَّل
favoritnejoblíbenějšíoblíbený
favorityndlings-favorit-
lempi-suosikki
favoritomiljen
uppáhalduppáhalds-
お気に入り大好きな
좋아하는좋아하는 것
favoritfavorit-
คนหรือสิ่งของที่ชอบเป็นพิเศษที่ชอบที่สุด
gözdegözde biri/bir şeyen sevilenfavori
người/vật yêu thíchưa thích

favourite

favorite (US) [ˈfeɪvərɪt]
A. ADJ → favorito, preferido
B. N
1. (= object) → favorito/a m/f; (= person) → preferido/a m/f, favorito/a m/f; (spoilt) → consentido/a m/f; (at court) → valido m, privado m; (= mistress) → querida f
he sang some old favourites → cantó algunas de las viejas y conocidas canciones
2. (in race, contest, election) → favorito/a m/f
Liverpool are favourites to win → el Liverpool es el gran favorito
C. CPD favourite son N (US) (Pol) → hijo m predilecto

favourite

[ˈfeɪvrɪt] (British) favorite (US)
adj [thing, activity, place, person, colour, food] → préféré(e), favori(te)
Blue is my favourite colour → Le bleu est ma couleur préférée., Le bleu est ma couleur favorite.
n
(= preferred person, activity, thing) → préféré(e) m/f, favori(te) m/f
(= one most likely to win) (in competition, race, election) → favori(te) m/f
to be the favourite → être le favori(la)(te)
Liverpool are favourites to win the Cup → L'équipe de Liverpool est favorite pour la coupe.

favourite

, (US) favorite
n
(= person) → Liebling m; (Hist, pej) → Günstling m; he is a universal favourite → er ist allgemein beliebt; which of her children is her favourite? → welches Kind mag sie am liebsten or ist ihr Liebling?
(= thing) this one is my favourite → das habe ich am liebsten; this book/dress is my favourite → das ist mein Lieblingsbuch/-kleid; we sang all the old favourites → wir haben all die alten Lieder gesungen
(Sport) → Favorit(in) m(f); Chelsea are the favourites → Chelsea ist (der) Favorit
(Internet) → Favorit m; to add/organize favourites → Favoriten hinzufügen/verwalten
adj attr → Lieblings-; my favourite book/dress → mein Lieblingsbuch nt → /-kleid nt

favourite

favorite (Am) [ˈfeɪvərɪt]
1. adj → favorito/a, preferito/a
2. n → favorito/a, preferito/a; (Horse-racing) → favorito/a
it's a favourite of mine → è uno dei miei preferiti, è tra i miei favoriti
he sang some old favourites → ha cantato dei vecchi successi

favour

(American) favor (ˈfeivə) noun
1. a kind action. Will you do me a favour and lend me your car?
2. kindness or approval. She looked on him with great favour.
3. preference or too much kindness. By doing that he showed favour to the other side.
4. a state of being approved of. He was very much in favour with the Prime Minister.
verb
to support or show preference for. Which side do you favour?
ˈfavourable adjective , (American) favorable
1. showing approval. Was her reaction favourable or unfavourable?
2. helpful or advantageous. a favourable wind.
ˈfavourably , (American) favorably adverb
ˈfavourite (-rit) , (American) favorite adjective
best-liked; preferred. his favourite city.
noun
a person or thing that one likes best. Of all her paintings that is my favourite.
ˈfavouritism (-ri-) , (American) favoritism noun
preferring or supporting one person etc more than another. I can't be accused of favouritism – I voted for everyone!
in favour of
in support of. I am in favour of higher pay.
in one's favour
to one's benefit or advantage. The wind was in our favour.
favour, noun, ends in -our.
The adjective favourable is also spelt with -our-.

favourite

→ مُفَضَّل favorit, nejoblíbenější favorit, yndlings- Liebling, Lieblings- αγαπημένος, φαβορί favorito lempi-, suosikki préféré favorit, omiljen preferito お気に入り, 大好きな 좋아하는, 좋아하는 것 favoriet favoritt, favoritt- ulubieniec, ulubiony favorito излюбленный, любимец favorit, favorit- คนหรือสิ่งของที่ชอบเป็นพิเศษ, ที่ชอบที่สุด gözde người/vật yêu thích, ưa thích 最喜爱的东西, 特别喜爱的
Mentioned in ?
References in classic literature ?
His voice was so sympathetic and he read so interestingly that I wished he had chosen one of my favourite chapters in the Book of Kings.
View in context
In the way of literary talk, it is true, the Naval Officer -- an excellent fellow, who came into the office with me, and went out only a little later -- would often engage me in a discussion about one or the other of his favourite topics, Napoleon or Shakespeare.
View in context
John Dashwood had never been a favourite with any of her husband's family; but she had had no opportunity, till the present, of shewing them with how little attention to the comfort of other people she could act when occasion required it.
View in context
Had he treated you as an especial favourite, you would have found enemies, declared or covert, all around you; as it is, the greater number would offer you sympathy if they dared.
View in context
He took to Heathcliff strangely, believing all he said (for that matter, he said precious little, and generally the truth), and petting him up far above Cathy, who was too mischievous and wayward for a favourite.
View in context
A favourite at the Old Bailey, and eke at the Sessions, Mr.
View in context
You have only to put faint pencil-marks against the tenderest passages in your favourite new poet, and lend the volume to Her, and She has only to leave here and there the dropped violet of a timid confirmatory initial, for you to know your fate.
View in context
One grisly old wolf-dog alone, with the liberty of an indulged favourite, had planted himself close by the chair of state, and occasionally ventured to solicit notice by putting his large hairy head upon his master's knee, or pushing his nose into his hand.
View in context
He had heard, indeed, some curious HOUYHNHNMS observe, that in most herds there was a sort of ruling YAHOO (as among us there is generally some leading or principal stag in a park), who was always more deformed in body, and mischievous in disposition, than any of the rest; that this leader had usually a favourite as like himself as he could get, whose employment was to lick his master's feet and posteriors, and drive the female YAHOOS to his kennel; for which he was now and then rewarded with a piece of ass's flesh.
View in context
He has made no scruple of preferring the testimony of Father du Bernat to the writings of all the Portuguese Jesuits, to whom he allows great zeal, but little learning, without giving any other reason than that his favourite was a Frenchman.
View in context
There is neither Iliad nor Odyssey to be found in the libraries of the Chinese; indeed, a favourite feature of their verse is the "stop short", a poem containing only four lines, concerning which another critic has explained that only the words stop, while the sense goes on.
View in context
She felt all the perverseness of the mischance that should bring him where no one else was brought, and, to prevent its ever happening again, took care to inform him at first that it was a favourite haunt of hers.
View in context

Dictionary browser ?
Full browser ?