give

verb

ˈgiv How to pronounce give (audio)
Definition of givenext
1
as in to donate
to make a present of thanked all the tutors who generously gave their time to help students after school

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another gave my camera to my father to hold while I went swimming

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3
as in to offer
to bring before the public in performance or exhibition the author will give a reading from her latest work at 7:00 p.m.

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4
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure they loaded the shopping cart with so much food it gave under all the weight

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5
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment I wouldn't give a nickel for such a run-down car

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6
as in to express
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) she gave her opinion on the matter very firmly and unmistakably

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7
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention totally gave himself to his studies in the hopes of winning a scholarship for next year

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8
as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

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9
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption gave him my e-mail address

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10
as in to run by
to put before another for acceptance or consideration she gave the committee her grant proposal

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11
as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, 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

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of give The move also gives critics and other first-nighters a bit of a break: The busy month of April openings is especially busy the week starting Monday, April 21. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025 Even the historically bad White Sox can't justify giving Gallo an opportunity to continue hitting. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 Glover made double bogey at the 15th, chipped in for eagle at 16, then gave it right back with another double at the infamous 17th hole. —Justin Ray, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025 Shower Doors Glass shower doors are notorious culprits for giving an otherwise clean bathroom a less-than-sparkling look. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
  1. donate
  2. leave
  3. offer
  4. collapse
  5. pay
  6. express
  7. devote
  8. yield
Verb
  • As Investopedia notes, a person with a $30,000 income isn’t likely to donate $15,000 to charity.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
  • In May 2019, Bell asked her followers to donate to the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mount Juliet, Tenn in honor of her birthday.
    — Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of donate
Verb
  • The sighting left the researchers with more questions than answers… but that’s the beauty of studying the ocean.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • For that reason, Santoro left Rivolta Femminile and in 1976 founded the Cooperativa Beato Angelico, the first women’s art space in Rome, together with ten other Italian women.
    — Paola Ugolini, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • Piper happily agrees, and Lachlan offers to stay with her.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The Martins are now offering a $2,500 reward for any information about who might be responsible.
    — Erin Clack, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of offer
Verb
  • Dramatic videos show buildings collapsing and swaying in Thailand. 4:09 A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday, resulting in mounting casualties and flattened skyscrapers from Myanmar to Thailand.
    — Mark Osborne, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The quake also caused a skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand, to collapse.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Cutting-edge visual effects create a world of talking photorealistic animals that might as well be a nature documentary, and attention is paid to livening up the humor, with Billy Eichner’s funny, overdramatic meerkat Timon showing up everybody, including Beyoncé. 9.
    — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The company ultimately paid the boxer over $137 million for the rights to use his name on the product.
    — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace any professional or expert accounting and/or tax advice whatsoever.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The divergence of Americans’ preferences as expressed at the ballot box and at the checkout counter creates an awkward status quo.
    — David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of express
Verb
  • In the series, FitzGerald devotes one episode to rising insurance premiums for housing in Florida because of increasing flood risks, and how the risk initially was underpriced in order to encourage development there.
    — Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Living relatively modestly for most of the year allows Brewer to devote significant funds toward her life’s passion: travel.
    — Ryan Ermey,Zachary Green, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of devote
Verb
  • But, in general, a 1-inch piece of ginger will yield 1 Tablespoon, meaning three of these Dorot Gardens cubes.
    — Katie Akin, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
  • To draw 3% from a portfolio yielding 1.2%, cash in the dividends and also 1.8% of the shares.
    — William Baldwin, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of yield

Phrases Containing give

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gits
give
give a hang
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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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