favored

1. 1
   sided withverb

   Simple past and past participle of favor.

   The new policy favored small businesses over large corporations.

   Historians have long favored the diplomatic explanation for the war.

   Note

   A regular form that does double duty. The same spelling serves as the simple past (the policy favored small firms) and as the participle after have or in the passive. It also carries the meaning "resemble," as in she favored her father. After be it shades into the adjective. A following by points to the verb, while more or very points to the adjective.

2. 2
   pet (unfair)adjective

   Treated better or regarded more warmly than others because of bias rather than fairness.

   Critics complained that a handful of favored contractors won nearly every city building project.

   As the favored child, she was rarely punished for the things her brothers got scolded for.

   Similarfavorite, preferred, privileged, chosen

3. 3
   looksadjectivein compounds

   Having a certain appearance or physical features, a sense used in combinations such as well-favored and ill-favored.

   She was a well-favored woman, with clear gray eyes and a quick smile.

   A hard-favored sailor with a scarred cheek glared at us from the end of the dock.

   Note

   A meaning that never stands alone: it needs a hyphenated word in front to say what sort of looks are meant. Well-favored praises a face or figure, ill-favored finds it plain or ugly, and hard-favored gives it a harsh cast. Do not confuse these with the "treated better" meaning: a well-favored rival is handsome, not one who gets special treatment.

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