Favorite
adj.joyful, calmeveryday
Meaning 1
Preferred above the other available choices.
Reach for it when naming a personally most-liked person, place, object, or activity
The shaded bench is her favorite place for an afternoon call.
Choose between these
4- playful
you repeatedly choose something because it works well
not when A go-to choice may be practical rather than the one you enjoy most.
- warm
affection is stronger than simple preference
not when It is too emotional for selecting a software setting or route.
- professional
preferred
a selection policy or stated choice is involved
not when Preferred sounds procedural and may hide the affection carried by favorite.
- literary
deep, lasting affection deserves emphasis
not when Beloved overstates ordinary liking and rarely fits objects chosen for convenience.
Meaning 2
Expected to have the strongest chance of winning.
Reach for it when describing the leading contender in a competition or prediction
After two consistent races, the local team became the favorite entrant.
Choose between these
4- everyday
likely winner
plain language is more important than sporting jargon
not when This phrase is awkward when odds are close and only a slight preference exists.
- professional
current evidence places a contender ahead
not when The front-runner is leading now; the favorite may be predicted before competition starts.
- professional
rank or current performance makes the advantage clear
not when Leading can describe prominence without any forecast of winning.
- formal
odds-on
betting expectations make one outcome strongly probable
not when Avoid it outside contexts where probability or betting language feels natural.
Said against
3- disliked
- least favorite
- underdog
It naturally appears in
3- favorite book
Her favorite book still has the ticket from their first train journey.
- favorite part
My favorite part of the workshop was the live demonstration.
- clear favorite
The accessible design emerged as the clear favorite after testing.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: most preferred or best liked opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- wiktionary, English noun and attributive sense: competitor expected to win opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.