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

For the 456, Ferrari bestowed it with a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 that made 436 horsepower and more than 400 lb-ft of torque, which is more than adequate for hustling across the continent. —Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024

The honor is bestowed annually to a filmmaker of distinction. —Tom Tapp, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024

The dogs were then bestowed with nifty Bark Ranger bandannas (for more information about how your dog can become a Bark Ranger, visit NPS.org). —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024

Michael Jordan bestowed the honor of driving his NASCAR team’s signature car, one that bears his own number 23, to Bubba Wallace for the last three years. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 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