favorite 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of favoritenext
1
as in loved
granted special treatment or attention that teacher claims not to have any favorite students, although many in the class would disagree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preferred
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking mint chocolate chip is my favorite flavor of ice cream

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in popular
enjoying widespread favor or approval a radio station that mostly plays favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

favorite

2 of 2

noun

ˈfā-v(ə-)rət How to pronounce favorite (audio)
as in darling
a person or thing that is preferred over others the youngest child was always Mother's favorite

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of favorite
Adjective
From transitional layers and cozy knits to some really good footwear—including Staud’s Wally boots and my favorite Mary Jane flats from Madewell—these are the kinds of staples worth investing in, especially while marked down for a limited time. — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026 The welcoming faces inside Huey’s on the Square in Liberty transported me back to my favorite coffee shop in Lincoln. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
Buffalo has nearly caught Los Angeles as the Super Bowl favorite. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The Chiefs were seen as AFC West favorites by four of those NFL Media writers. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for favorite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favorite
  1. loved
  2. preferred
  3. popular
  4. darling
  5. beloved
  6. selected
  7. fashionable
  8. preference
Adjective
  • Granbery was reunited safely with her loved ones, who helped with search and rescue operations and provided critical information to help locate her, the sheriff's office said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The company has also expanded into care and repair and a pre-loved business, extending the life of products while creating additional ways to engage consumers.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of loved
Adjective
  • Its manganese spins continue fluctuating in preferred directions after long-range magnetic order fades.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This indicates that black hole jets don't influence gas around galaxies in a uniform manner, but at preferred points.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of preferred
Adjective
  • The school, which opened in 1991, offers several certifications, including private pilots’ licenses and a diploma in aviation, and is popular with international students.
    — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This guide to skincare for mature skin covers what can change, what the popular anti-aging ingredients can do, and how a skin care routine can be structured.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of popular
Noun
  • Our favorite dress picks have a variety of styles and versatile features, like darling ruffles, cinching waistlines, and trending silhouettes.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There’s his drop-dead gorgeous spouse, a huge welcoming home, darling children, and a pillar-of-the-community job that gives him a clean conscience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of darling
Adjective
  • That’s because the hotel was founded by Shin Young-kyun, a beloved South Korean film actor and politician who was born in 1928—hence, the hotel’s name.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In an era where millions of recipes are made for content consumption as much as actual consumption, traveling back in time for someone’s beloved 1970 banana bread recipe sounds pretty nice.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of beloved
Adjective
  • The Pope Leo Village Homes initiative is underway in Bronzeville with five of the seven area homes under construction and two with selected homeowners.
    — Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Some cool features include a kill switch that automatically disconnects you from the internet if the VPN connection fails, as well as split tunneling that allows selected apps to use the VPN connection while others transmit data in clear text.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026
Definition of selected
Adjective
  • This 15-room Georgian-era townhouse, tucked away in a residential street in Gardens (a fashionable neighborhood known for its restaurants, bars, and interior shops), is full of surprises.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Van Wissen and Lupker hope to expand the service to such fashionable cities as London, New York, Milan and Los Angeles, and are eyeing emerging destinations like Turkey and Morocco, too.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fashionable
Noun
  • This hotel really does have a little bit of everything for everyone, regardless of your gastronomic preferences.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • If employees enjoy working from home, wouldn’t a hybrid model be the perfect way to balance that preference with the need for face-to-face contact?
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of preference

Browse Nearby Words

favoring
favorite
favorites
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Favorite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favorite. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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