What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Favor vs Encourage - What's the difference?

favor | encourage |

As verbs the difference between favor and encourage

is that favor is (transitive)  to look upon fondly; to prefer while encourage is .

As a noun favor

is a kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).

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) ----

    encourage

    English

    Verb

    (encourag)
  • To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
    • I encouraged him during his race.
  • To spur on, strongly recommend.
    • We encourage the use of bicycles in the town centre.
  • To foster, give help or patronage
    • ''The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed

    Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)

    Antonyms

    * discourage

    Derived terms

    * encouragement * encouraging * encouragingly

    Related terms

    * courage