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
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
Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Don’t forget to grab a Clinique Lipstick in her favorite shade, too.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
Brian Hamilton, NBC news, 1 May 2025
The show featured hits from her new album, nostalgic fan favorites, and even a performance from her daughter Blue Ivy, who delivered a standout dance sequence.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for favorite
Adjective
The bookies’ favorite for this year’s race is Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, at 3-1.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Don’t forget to grab a Clinique Lipstick in her favorite shade, too.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
Noun
This is undoubtedly a very strong field with a completely worthy favorite in Journalism, but I’ve been taken by the physically impressive American Promise, the Justify colt trained by D. Wayne Lukas.
—Brian Hamilton, NBC news, 1 May 2025
The show featured hits from her new album, nostalgic fan favorites, and even a performance from her daughter Blue Ivy, who delivered a standout dance sequence.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for favorite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favorite
Adjective
-
Dolan has been seen as Trump’s preferred cardinal and delivered traditional prayers at both of his inaugurations.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
3 May 2025
-
The walk into the arena, her preferred seat in the locker room.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
Yahoo was at one point the most popular search engine in the world, before slowly losing its market share to Google in the early 2000s.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Morii Outdoor View 5 Images View gallery - 5 images Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world – by some accounts, the most popular of all.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At that point, the band had already transitioned from country stars to crossover darlings, racking up several of pop radio wins.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Derik Queen This year’s March Madness darling continues rising in mock drafts.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Not only is our favorite produce abundant at the farmers' market, but family cookouts and warm-weather gatherings with friends fill the calendar, giving the perfect opportunity to make certain beloved Southern recipes that feel fit for the season.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Check out some of The Alarm’s most beloved hits below.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The selected poet will get the opportunity to perform their work for 15 minutes in front of festival-goers at the event, held at the University of Southern California campus on Saturday, April 26 or Sunday, April 27.—
Fidel Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The selected artist will have the opportunity to create a special photography project to be published in the print edition of Vogue Ukraine in 2025.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Lululemon Scuba Oversized Half-zip Hoodie $118 $89 at Lululemon Lululemon excels at crafting fashionable yet functional activewear, and its uber-popular Scuba Hoodies are a testament to that.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The traditional pillars of education — reading, writing and arithmetic — have not merely been sidelined; they are now regularly diminished as outdated or insufficient in the face of more fashionable trends.—
William P. Yeakel,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Shortly after, a select number were removed by Trump.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account - free of charge.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
When a curious 6-year-old met a playful dolphin, their precious connection created pure magic.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Rallying since November 2024, the precious metal peaked at just over $3,500 on April 22.—
Dan Irvine,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Favorite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favorite. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share