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
Examples 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
Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Rob Duckworth — owner of the Duckworth's restaurants and Link & Pin — recently penned an agreement to bring one of his favorite restaurants to Charlotte: Chili Willi's, which operated for nearly three decades in West Virginia before closing in 2011.
—Laura Barrero, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Tim Graham, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the favorites to sign the 23-year-old right-hander, with the Toronto Blue Jays another possibility.
—Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for favorite 
Adjective
Oprah selected it as one of her favorite things in 2023, and it’s been spotted on Gwyneth Paltrow, too.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Rob Duckworth — owner of the Duckworth's restaurants and Link & Pin — recently penned an agreement to bring one of his favorite restaurants to Charlotte: Chili Willi's, which operated for nearly three decades in West Virginia before closing in 2011.
—Laura Barrero, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
The spread opened at two points, so most of the early money is on the Ravens, and eventually, they could be made the favorites.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the favorites to sign the 23-year-old right-hander, with the Toronto Blue Jays another possibility.
—Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for favorite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favorite
Adjective
-
The Phoenix Suns are reportedly Butler’s current preferred destination, but Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause, remaining two seasons and more than $110 million on his contract have been obstacles to accommodating that preference.James Jackson, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
-
But the white population usually defeats the preferred candidate of Black voters.Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But YouTube’s incentive to continue making money arguably encourages it to keep its service friendly to its most popular users.Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
-
Before opening Peligro’s doors, a display window greets customers with two mannequins decked out in the full uniforms of Dominican baseball titans Águilas and Licey, the island nation’s two most popular teams and LIDOM’s most intense rivalry.David Betancourt, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Other contenders: Rick Nash to the Rangers, Sergei Bobrovsky to the Blue Jackets, Paul Gaustad being the darling of the deadline for some reason 12.Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
-
Artificial intelligence darling Nvidia closed at a record high.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Three actors — Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland — have played Spider-Man in major movie adaptations of the beloved comic — and all three of them have found dated their romantic counterparts in the movie.Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
-
Highsmith over the top: The night began with Highsmith catching as much as possible of his beloved Baltimore Ravens on his phone in the locker room.Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
After the automatic and selected protections, the Rapids had to leave five current players vulnerable to the newest MLS club: Andreas Maxsø, Daniel Chacón, Nate Jones, Jasper Löffelsend and Omir Fernández.Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The glasses not only provide exceptional sound clarity but also eliminate the traditional stigma associated with hearing aids by seamlessly integrating advanced audio technology into a sleek, fashionable eyewear design.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
-
In the years since, the former editor and model has quietly put her own fashionable stamp on the baroque pile in the Peak District—the inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice and a fixture on the moodboards of designers ranging from John Galliano to Alessandro Michele.Liam Hess, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
This preference is more popular amongst Millennials (67%) compared to Boomers (37%).Gary Drenik, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023
-
That preference was on display in August last year, when the KMT’s Hsia visited China amid lingering tensions over Pelosi’s visit.Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Studios has nabbed worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the coveted Golden Princess movie library, a treasure trove of 156 Hong Kong cinema classics that’s been MIA from Western markets for decades.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
-
With a retail price of $125 (as opposed to VHR’s $300), Baker & Hamilton is currently available at select restaurants and retailers in a handful of states.Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near favorite
Cite this Entry
“Favorite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favorite. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share