favor (redirected from favors)

*out of favor (with someone)

no longer desirable or preferred by someone. (*Typically: be ~; go ~.) I can't ask John to help. I'm out of favor with him. That kind of thing has been out of favor for years.

See also: out

be for someone or something and be for doing something

supporting or in favor of someone or something. I'm for abandoning the scheme. Mary is running for office, and the whole family is for her.

come out for someone or something and come out in favor of someone or something

to announce or reveal that one supports someone or something. The defense lawyers all came out for the judge's ruling. Roger came out for Lynn, who was running for mayor. I thought the mayor would come out in favor of more public housing.

See also: come, out

curry favor with someone

to try to win favor from someone. The lawyer tried to curry favor with the judge. It's silly to curry favor with the boss. Just act yourself.

See also: curry

decide in favor of someone or something

to determine that someone or something is the winner. The judge decided in favor of the defendant. I decided in favor of the red one.

See also: decide

do someone a favor and do someone a good turn

to perform a helpful service to someone. Would you please do me a favor and take this letter to the post office? My neighbor did me a good turn by lending me his car.

fall out of favor (with someone) and lose favor (with someone)

to lose someone's approval or acceptance. This style of house has fallen out of favor with most people lately. Saving money has lost favor with most people.

See also: fall, out

favor someone or something with something

to provide someone or something with something beneficial or special. Mary favored us with a song. Nature favored Bill with curly hair.

find favor with someone

to win the praise of someone. The maid found favor with the family and was given a large salary increase. Mary found favor with her employer because of her good ideas.

See also: find

Fortune favors the brave. and Fortune favors the bold.

Prov. You will have good luck if you carry out your plans boldly. (Used to encourage people to have the courage to carry out their plans.) Fortune favors the bold, Bob. Quit your day job and work on your novel full-time. Jill: Let's wait till next year before trying to start our own business. Jane: No. We'll do it this year. Fortune favors the brave.

See also: brave, fortune

go in someone's favor

[for something] to change to someone's benefit. (Alludes to very changeable things like game scores, wind direction, or chance in general.) Things appear to be going in our favor—finally. The game was going in our favor during the first half.

in someone's favor 

1. to someone's advantage or credit. (Especially in sports scores, as in the examples.) The score was ten to twelve in our favor. At the end of the second half, the score was forty to three in the other team's favor. 2. *in someone's favor liked by someone; approved of by someone. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~.) John might be able to help me. I hope I'm currently in his favor. My mother is mad at me. I'm certainly not in her favor. I'll try to get into her favor.

in favor (of someone or something)

approving, supporting, or endorsing someone or something. Are you in favor of lower taxes? Of course, I'm in favor.

in favor of someone

to someone, as when writing a check. Please make out a check for $300 in Tom's favor. I'm making out the check in favor of Mr. Brown.

opt in favor of someone or something

to choose a particular person; to choose a particular thing. Do you think she will opt in favor of this one or that? We will opt in favor of David.

See also: opt

return the favor

to do a good deed for someone who has done a good deed for you. You helped me last week, so I'll return the favor and help you this week. There is no point in helping Bill He'll never return the favor.

See also: return

rule in favor of someone or something and rule for someone or something

[for a judge or deliberating body] to award a decision to someone or something or to render a decision favoring someone or something. The judge ruled for the defendant. The examining board ruled in favor of dismissing George.

See also: rule

slant something toward someone or something and slant something in favor of someone or something

to bias something toward someone or something; to twist information so it favors someone or something. The writer slanted the story toward the plaintiff's charges. The reporter slanted her story in favor of one political party.

See also: slant, toward

slant toward someone or something

to incline toward someone or something. The scenery slanted toward the actors and looked as if it would fall. Everything in your sketch slants toward the right.

See also: slant, toward

Thank God for small favors.

Rur. Be thankful that something good has happened in a bad situation. Charlie: We're out of gas, but I think I see a gas station up ahead. Tom: Thank God for small favors. He had a heart attack, but it was right there in the doctor's office, so they could take care of him right away. Thank God for small favors.

See also: god, small, thank

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not do somebody any favours  (British, American & Australian) also not do somebody any favor (American)

to do something that is likely to have a bad effect on you or on another person (often reflexive) You're not well, and you're not doing yourself any favours by taking on extra work. (usually in continuous tenses; often + by + doing sth) The government isn't doing the families of the victims any favor by hiding the truth about what really happened.

See also: any, favour

do yourself a favour  (British & Australian) also do yourself a favor (American & Australian)

something that you say when you are advising someone to do something which will have a good effect or will give them an advantage (often + and + do sth) You're looking really tired. Why don't you do yourself a favour and take a break?

See also: favour

Do me a favour!  (British & Australian informal) also Do me a favor! (American & Australian formal)

something that you say in order to tell someone that what they have just said is stupid 'Why don't you go out with Brian?' 'Oh, do me a favour! He's almost 50, and he still lives with his mother!'

do me/us a favour  (British & Australian informal) also do me/us a favor (American & Australian informal)

if you tell someone to do you a favour, you are telling them to stop doing something that is making you angry (often + and + do sth) Why don't you do us all a favor and keep your opinions to yourself!

See curry favour

See also: favour

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curry favor (with somebody)

to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters.

See also: curry

do yourself a favor

to do something that will have a good effect on you or give you an advantage Why don't you do yourself a favor and take a vacation this summer?

in favor of something

because you prefer something Her offer was rejected by the company in favor of a much better deal.

Related vocabulary: all for something

not do somebody/yourself any favors

to do something that will have a bad effect on you or someone else We are not doing our children any favors by giving them unrealistic ideas of how the world works.

Usage notes: often said about something that is intended to be helpful or kind but that has the opposite effect

See also: any

return the favor

to do something similar to someone who has behaved badly to you The other team's fans are nasty to us, and our fans can't wait to return the favor.

Related vocabulary: return the compliment

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of return the favor (to do something similar for someone who has done something good for you)

See also: return