lover vs favorite

lover and favorite both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
lover	Yes	No	No	No
favorite	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

As nouns, favorite is a hyponym of lover; that is, favorite is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than lover:

lover (noun)	favorite (noun)
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone	something regarded with special favor or liking
an ardent follower and admirer	a special loved one
a significant other to whom you are not related by marriage	a competitor thought likely to win

lover (adjective)	favorite (adjective)
	preferred above all others and treated with partiality
	appealing to the general public

lover (verb)	favorite (verb)
	To mark an item as a personal favorite on social media