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fa‧vour1 S1 W2 British English ; favor American English
1 something that you do for someone in order to help them or be kind to them COLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS 
do somebody a favour (=do something for someone) as a favour (to somebody) (=because you want to be kind, not because you have to) ask somebody a favour/ask a favour of somebody (=ask someone to do something for you) owe somebody a favour (=feel that you should do something for someone because they have done something for you) return a favour (=do something for someone because they have done something for you) be doing somebody a favour (=used to say that something that seems bad will benefit someone) do yourself a favour (=do something good for yourself) a personal favour a political favour
help
[countable]COLLOCATIONS do somebody a favour (=do something for someone) as a favour (to somebody) (=because you want to be kind, not because you have to) ask somebody a favour/ask a favour of somebody (=ask someone to do something for you) owe somebody a favour (=feel that you should do something for someone because they have done something for you) return a favour (=do something for someone because they have done something for you) be doing somebody a favour (=used to say that something that seems bad will benefit someone) do yourself a favour (=do something good for yourself) a personal favour a political favour
2 support, approval, or agreement for something such as a plan, idea, or system
support/approval
[uncountable] look on/view/regard something with favour formal (=support something, and want to help it succeed) 
Employers are more likely to look with favour on experienced candidates.
Employers are more likely to look with favour on experienced candidates. vote/decide in favour of something (=vote or decide to support something) 288 members voted in favor of the ban.
288 members voted in favor of the ban.3 when someone or something is liked or approved of by people, or not liked or approved of
popular/unpopular
[uncountable] find/gain/win favour Radcliffe's books began to find favour with the reading public.
Radcliffe's books began to find favour with the reading public. fall/go out of favour (=stop being approved of) Grammar-based teaching methods went out of favour in the 60s and 70s.
Grammar-based teaching methods went out of favour in the 60s and 70s.4 if something is in someone's favour, it gives them an advantage over someone else : Conditions on court are very much in Williams' favour.
advantage
in somebody's favour
Conditions on court are very much in Williams' favour. the odds are (stacked) in somebody's favour (=someone has a big advantage)
5 if you decide not to use one thing in favour of another, you choose the other one because you think it is better : Plans for a tunnel were rejected in favour of a bridge.
choose something instead
do something in favour of something
Plans for a tunnel were rejected in favour of a bridge.6 to do something that makes someone or something look worse than they are, or that does not help at all : Low interest rates don't do savers any favours.
do somebody/something no favours
, not do somebody/something any favoursLow interest rates don't do savers any favours.7 support that is given to one person or group and not to others, in a way that does not seem fair :
unfair support
[uncountable]8 used when you are annoyed because someone has asked a silly question or done something to upset people : Do us a favour, Mike, and shut up! 'Did you like it?' 'Do me a favour!'
do me/us a favour!
British English spokenDo us a favour, Mike, and shut up!'Did you like it?' 'Do me a favour!'9 a party favor
