bestow

verb

be·​stow bi-ˈstō 

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 bestowed …

—R. 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

bi-ˈstō-əl 

bē-

noun

bestower

bi-ˈstō(-ə)r 

bē-

noun

Synonyms

• contribute
• donate
• give
• give away
• present
• volunteer

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

Angolan model Maria Borges, who has been outspoken about embracing natural beauty, bestowed the SFA Biodiversity & Water Award to the Lenzing Group, represented by CEO Rohit Aggarwal and Italy’s business manager Carlo Covini, for promoting glacial preservation through circular textiles. —Luisa Zargani, WWD, 23 Sep. 2024

Having previously bestowed billions on David and his sister, Megan, Larry has now backed his son to the tune of $6 billion as David pursued his dream of running a legacy studio. —Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2024

While few are recognized for their exceptional contributions in the competitive world of financial planning, in Arizona, an LPL Financial Award has been bestowed upon founder Kyle Richardson and his team at Watermark Wealth Strategies. —Tyler Shepherd, The Arizona Republic, 14 Sep. 2024

Instead, that honor was bestowed upon the AirPods 4—Apple’s cheapest AirPods at $129, and now with the option of noise cancellation for an additional $50. —Verity Burns, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bestow

verb

be·​stow bi-ˈstō 

: to present as a gift

bestowal

-ˈstō-əl 

noun

bestower noun