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Favorite

adj. joyful, calm everyday

What it means

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.

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.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
playful
everyday
  • Favorite (this word)
warm
professional
formal
literary

Meaning 1: Preferred above the other available choices.

  • playful

    go-to

    Fits when you repeatedly choose something because it works well

    Careful A go-to choice may be practical rather than the one you enjoy most.

  • warm

    best-loved

    Fits when affection is stronger than simple preference

    Careful It is too emotional for selecting a software setting or route.

  • professional

    preferred

    Fits when a selection policy or stated choice is involved

    Careful Preferred sounds procedural and may hide the affection carried by favorite.

  • literary

    beloved

    Fits when deep, lasting affection deserves emphasis

    Careful Beloved overstates ordinary liking and rarely fits objects chosen for convenience.

Meaning 2: Expected to have the strongest chance of winning.

  • everyday

    likely winner

    Fits when plain language is more important than sporting jargon

    Careful This phrase is awkward when odds are close and only a slight preference exists.

  • professional

    front-runner

    Fits when current evidence places a contender ahead

    Careful The front-runner is leading now; the favorite may be predicted before competition starts.

  • professional

    leading

    Fits when rank or current performance makes the advantage clear

    Careful Leading can describe prominence without any forecast of winning.

  • formal

    odds-on

    Fits when betting expectations make one outcome strongly probable

    Careful Avoid it outside contexts where probability or betting language feels natural.

Opposites 3

  • disliked
  • least favorite
  • underdog

Common phrases 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.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated