Favorite Meaning, Examples & Common Usage

Meaning 1：most liked (favorite)

favorite 🔊

/ˈfeɪvərɪt/

adj.

most liked; best loved; preferred over all others.

Child hugging favorite teddy bear with happy smile

most liked 🔊

➕

/ˈmoʊst laɪkt/

adj.

Describes something that is preferred above all others; the most loved or appreciated.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Latin 'favoritus' from 'favorere' (to show goodwill), through Old French 'favorit'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'favor' (like a favor you do) + 'ite' (like favorite). Your favorite thing is the one you always favor.

📖 Example

My favorite part of the day is having coffee with my best friend and talking about our plans. 🔊 My favorite part of the day is having coffee with my best friend and talking about our plans.

🔗 Collocations

favorite color – the color that someone likes most

favorite food – a dish that is preferred over all others

favorite movie – a film that one enjoys more than any other

🔄 Synonyms

preferred (adj.) – chosen as more desirable than another

favored (adj.) – regarded with special preference or liking

beloved (adj.) – dearly loved; very dear

🚫 Antonyms

hated (adj.) – regarded with intense dislike

disliked (adj.) – not liked; found unpleasant

least favorite (adj.) – the one liked the least among a group

🌱 Derivatives

favor (n./v.) – an act of kindness; to show preference

favoritism (n.) – the practice of unfairly preferring one person or group

favorite (n.) – a person or thing that is preferred

📖 Cultural Story

The word entered English in the 16th century from Italian 'favorito' or French 'favori', ultimately from Latin 'favere' meaning 'to be kind to'. It originally described a person especially loved, later generalized to things.