noun, used as a suffix
favoritism; partiality; being a fan of
Used as a suffix to indicate a strong liking or favoritism toward something, often forming compounds like 地元びいき (hometown favoritism) or 判官びいき (sympathy for the underdog).
See also: 贔屓 (ひいき)
彼は地元びいきで、いつも地元のチームを応援している。
He has a hometown bias and always supports the local team.
あの先生は特定の生徒だけをひいきしている。
That teacher shows favoritism only toward certain students.
When used as a standalone noun, 贔屓 means 'favoritism' or 'patronage'. The suffix form covered here attaches to nouns to indicate a preference or bias.
The kanji 贔屓 are ateji (phonetically used characters) for the reading ひいき. The origin of the word is uncertain, but it may be related to the verb 引く (ひく, 'to pull'), suggesting a pulling toward one side.