INDEX:
1. the one you like better than any others
2. someone who is liked more than other people
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ LIKE
↑ BEST
↑ PREFER
↑ DELICIOUS
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1. the one you like better than any others
▷ favourite British /favorite American /ˈfeɪv ə rɪt, ˈfeɪv ə rət/ [adjective only before noun]
your favourite colour, food, teacher etc is the one you like more than all other colours, types of food etc :
▪ My favourite colour is purple.
▪ Who is your favorite singer?
▪ Proceeds from the concert will go to the singer’s favorite charities.
favourite/favorite [countable noun]
the one thing that you like more than other things of the same kind: :
▪ I love all his films but ‘Rashomon’ is my favourite.
▪ I made lasagna for dinner -- your favorite.
▷ like best /ˌlaɪk ˈbest/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to like something better than other things - use this especially when you are asking someone to choose or when you are choosing :
▪ Which of these dresses do you like best?
like something best
▪ I think I like the red one best.
▷ preferred /prɪˈfɜːʳd/ [adjective only before noun] formal
the preferred method, plan etc is the one that people think is the best :
▪ Steaming is the preferred method of cooking in Central Asia.
▪ Seventeen percent of likely voters picked Stark as their preferred candidate.
▷ first choice /ˌfɜːʳst ˈtʃɔɪs/ [countable noun]
the thing or person you like best and would choose first when you have several to choose from :
▪ Frances was our first choice as a name for the baby.
▪ Parents choosing schools for their children are rarely given their first choice.
first choice for
▪ Atkins was the producers’ first choice for the part of the maid.
first choice of
▪ Twenty-six percent of the students said that teaching was their first choice of occupations.
▷ preference /ˈpref ə rəns/ [countable noun]
when someone likes one thing or person rather than another :
▪ There are definite regional preferences amongst our clients.
▪ Oil or vinegar may be added for a more bland or sharp sauce, according to your preference.
preference for
▪ Adams expressed her preference for New York, despite the fact that she’s lived in California for six years.
2. someone who is liked more than other people
▷ favourite British /favorite American /ˈfeɪv ə rɪt, ˈfeɪv ə rət/ [countable noun]
someone who is liked better, especially by someone in authority, than the others in a group, and who is often treated better :
▪ Admit it, you were always Mom’s favourite.
▪ Of all my customers, Sherman was easily my favorite.
▷ teacher’s pet /ˌtiːtʃəʳz ˈpet/ [countable noun usually singular] informal
someone who is their teacher’s favourite student, and who the other students do not like because of this :
▪ By his own account, Huggins was a teacher’s pet whose life revolved around his schoolwork.
▷ blue-eyed boy/girl /ˌbluː aɪd ˈbɔɪ, ˈgɜːʳl/ [countable noun usually singular] British informal
someone who is treated better than anyone else by their teacher, employer, parent etc, because they think he is perfect and do not notice his faults :
▪ Tom Cruise is Hollywood’s blue-eyed boy at the moment.
▷ the darling of /ðə ˈdɑːʳlɪŋ ɒv/ [noun phrase] written
the person who a group of people like most, for example a political party or people who write for a particular newspaper :
▪ For some strange reason Livingstone became the darling of the right-wing press.