disfavor

IPA/dɪsˈfeɪ.vər/
KK[dɪsfˈevɚ]IPA/dɪsˈfeɪ.vɚ/

disfavor — noun

1. a strong feeling that you do not like or approve of someone or something, often

1.nounC1
Definition

a strong feeling that you do not like or approve of someone or something, often shown through your reactions or how you treat them.

Example

Kasia looked at the messy report with clear disfavor before handing it back.

look at X with disfavor

The new parking rules were met with disfavor by most residents on the street.

be met with disfavor

Common collocations
  • look at X with disfavor
  • view X with disfavor
  • regard X with disfavor
  • meet with disfavor
  • open disfavor
Synonyms
  • disapproval

    more neutral and slightly more common; about judging something as wrong

  • displeasure

    emphasizes feeling annoyed; often a momentary reaction

  • dislike

    everyday word; broader and less formal

Antonyms
  • favor

    approval or positive regard

  • approval

    agreement that something is good or acceptable

Grammar Patterns

regard with disfavor

view with disfavor

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, group, or authority figure; the object of the dislike follows 'toward' or appears in 'with disfavor' phrases. More formal than 'dislike' — common in writing about reactions to rules, plans, or behavior.

Common Mistakes

I have a disfavor for spicy food.
I dislike spicy food.
'disfavor' is not used like 'dislike' as a personal preference verb-equivalent; it describes a more formal or public disapproval.

2. the situation of no longer being liked, supported, or valued by people who once

2.nounC1
Definition

the situation of no longer being liked, supported, or valued by people who once approved of you or it, often after a mistake or change of taste.

Example

After the missed deadline, the senior designer fell into disfavor with the company's directors.

fall into disfavor with [person]

Once-popular diets often slip into disfavor as new health studies appear.

slip into disfavor

Common collocations
  • fall into disfavor
  • slip into disfavor
  • in disfavor with
  • out of favor
Synonyms
  • unpopularity

    general loss of public approval; less personal

  • ill repute

    stronger; suggests damaged reputation, not just lost approval

Antonyms
  • favor

    the state of being liked or supported

  • popularity

    being widely liked or approved of

Grammar Patterns

fall into disfavor

in disfavor (with someone)

Usage Note

Subject is the person, idea, or thing that lost approval; the source of disapproval follows 'with'. Common verbs are 'fall', 'slip', or 'be'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names the feeling itself; sense 2 names the state of having lost others' approval.

Common Mistakes

He fell in disfavor of his boss.
He fell into disfavor with his boss.
the preposition is 'into' (or 'in') plus 'with', not 'of'.

3. a situation or factor that works against someone's interests, putting them at a

3.nounC2
Definition

a situation or factor that works against someone's interests, putting them at a disadvantage compared to others.

Example

The judge ruled the contract clause to Haruto's disfavor, leaving him with the repair costs.

to [person's] disfavor

Heavy rain on race day worked to the cyclists' disfavor.

to [people's] disfavor

Common collocations
  • to someone's disfavor
  • work to the disfavor of
  • operate to the disfavor of
Synonyms
  • disadvantage

    everyday word; far more common in this meaning

  • detriment

    formal; often paired with 'to' as in 'to the detriment of'

Antonyms
  • advantage

    a factor that helps someone do better than others

  • benefit

    something that improves a situation

Grammar Patterns

to someone's disfavor

Usage Note

Rare and quite formal; chiefly appears in the fixed phrase 'to someone's disfavor' or 'work/operate to the disfavor of [group]'. Outside this frame, learners should use 'disadvantage'.

Common Mistakes

The decision was a disfavor for him.
The decision was to his disfavor.' or ✅ 'The decision was a disadvantage for him.
'disfavor' in this sense lives inside the 'to X's disfavor' phrase; outside it, prefer 'disadvantage'.

disfavor — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a negative reaction, but they differ in register and scope. 'Dislike' is the most everyday word and simply means not enjoying or wanting something — it covers personal taste from food to people. 'Displeasure' is more formal and points to a feeling of annoyance, usually in response to a specific event or behavior, such as a boss showing displeasure at a late report. 'Disapproval' is the most common formal word and centers on a moral or practical judgment that something is wrong or unsuitable. 'Disfavor' is the rarest and most formal of the four; it suggests an active, often visible rejection by someone with some authority or social standing, and frequently appears in fixed frames like 'regard with disfavor' or 'meet with disfavor'.

disfavor ↗disapproval ↗displeasure ↗dislike ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • open(ly)
  • strong(ly)
  • clear(ly)

Phrases

  • meet with disfavor
  • fall into disfavor
  • regard with disfavor

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in late Middle English from the prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'not' or 'opposite of') added to 'favor', which came from Latin 'favor' meaning 'goodwill' or 'kindness', through Old French. The word first carried the meaning 'lack of goodwill' and later widened to include the state of being out of favor and, more rarely, a disadvantage. The British spelling 'disfavour' keeps the older '-our' ending; American English standardized the shorter '-or' form in the 19th century.