bestow

verb

be·​stow bi-ˈstō How to pronounce bestow (audio)
bē-
bestowed; bestowing; bestows

transitive verb

1
: to put to use : apply
bestowed his spare time on study
2
: to put in a particular or appropriate place : stow
bestowed in her car … by the chauffeur.Frances Towers
… the whole cargo was bestowedR. L. Stevenson
3
: to provide with quarters : put up
bestowed Clotilde in lodgings of her own.Rayner Heppenstall
4
: to convey as a gift
usually used with on or upon
The university bestowed an honorary degree upon her.
bestowal noun
bestower noun
Choose the Right Synonym for bestow

give, present, donate, bestow, confer, afford mean to convey to another as a possession.

give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

Examples of bestow in a Sentence

The university bestowed on her an honorary degree. bestowed a new car on their son for graduation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Horowitz cultivates these credos in his clients, yet his usual practice is to wrest books from the grip of one, bestow them into the hands of another, then wrest them back for a third. Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 Also recognized Saturday night in that category was late Motown songwriter-producer Norman Whitfield, while Motown executive Suzanne de Passe was bestowed the Ahmet Ertegun Award, the rock hall’s leading industry-side honor. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. 2024 The honor will be bestowed in a ceremony February 5 as part of the fest’s 40th edition. Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024 Starz will bestow a special STARZ #TakeTheLead designation onto Corinealdi’s award to highlight the narratives of women in underrepresented audiences. Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bestow 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from be- + stowe place — more at stow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bestow was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Bestow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bestow. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bestow

verb
be·​stow bi-ˈstō How to pronounce bestow (audio)
: to present as a gift
bestowal noun
bestower noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bestow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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