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Favor vs Countenance - What's the difference?

favor | countenance | Synonyms |

In obsolete terms the difference between favor and countenance

is that favor is appearance; look; countenance; face while countenance is superficial appearance; show; pretense.

In transitive terms the difference between favor and countenance

is that favor is   To have a similar appearance, to look like another person while countenance is to tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something.

favor

English

Alternative forms

* favour (qualifier)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).
  • Goodwill; benevolent regard.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady.
  • A small gift; a party favor.
    • A marriage favour is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Wear thou this favour for me, and stick it in thy cap.
  • Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • I could not discover the lenity and favour of this sentence.
  • The object of regard; person or thing favoured.
  • * Milton
    • All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, / His chief delight and favour .
  • (obsolete) Appearance; look; countenance; face.
  • * Shakespeare
    • This boy is fair, of female favour .
  • (legal) Partiality; bias.
    • (Bouvier)
  • (archaic, polite) A letter.
    • Your favour of yesterday is received.
  • (obsolete, in the plural) lovelocks
    • (Wright)

    Usage notes

    * Favor' is the standard US spelling, and an alternative in Canada. ' Favour is the standard spelling in Canada and outside North America. * English speakers usually "do' someone a favor" (rather than *"'''make''' them a favor", which would be sense 3 only). See for uses and meaning of ' favour collocated with these words.

    Derived terms

    * in favor * in favor of * party favor * favorite

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (transitive)  To look upon fondly; to prefer.
  • * And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored', the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. —, King James version, ' 1611
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=6 citation , passage=Even in an era when individuality in dress is a cult, his clothes were noticeable. He was wearing a hard hat of the low round kind favoured by hunting men, and with it a black duffle-coat lined with white.}}
  • (transitive)  To do a favor [noun sense 1] for; to show beneficence toward.
  • (transitive)  To treat with care.
  • (transitive)  To have a similar appearance, to look like another person.

    • Derived terms

    * favorite (favourite) * favoritism (favouritism) * favorable (favourable) * favored (favoured) ----

    countenance

    English

    Alternative forms

    * countenaunce (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
  • * , Genesis 4:5
    • But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
    • , passage=But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.}}
  • Favour; support; encouragement.
  • * (Bible), (Psalms) xxi. 6
    • Thou hast made himglad with thy countenance .
  • * (Francis Atterbury) (1663-1732)
    • This is the magistrate's peculiar province, to give countenance to piety and virtue, and to rebuke vice.
  • (label) Superficial appearance; show; pretense.
  • * (Roger Ascham) (1515-1568)
    • The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (countenanc)
  • To tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something.
    • ''The cruel punishment was countenanced by the government, although it was not officially legal.
  • * 1925 , Franz Kafka, The Trial'', ''Vintage Books (London) , pg. 99:
    • For the Defence was not actually countenanced by the Law, but only tolerated, and there were differences of opinion even on that point, whether the Law could be interpreted to admit such tolerances at all.

    Synonyms

    * approve, sanction, support, tolerate

    References

    * * ----