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

The Magic Land is home to good and bad witches, on whom Volkov bestows both new names and motivations. —Christin Bohnke, JSTOR Daily, 5 Mar. 2025

Upon their May 2018 wedding, Queen Elizabeth bestowed the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry and Meghan. —Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025

The Academy Award for Best Actor is the pinnacle for any male actor, an honor bestowed every year since 1929, when Emil Jannings won for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. —EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025

The moniker bestowed upon Orbi is in conjunction with the Sphere unveiling an e-commerce website featuring merchandise related to Orbi as well as the rotund building that has boasted concert residencies from U2, Phish, Dead & Company, the Eagles and Anyma since opening in September 2023. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bestow

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

bestow

verb

be·​stow bi-ˈstō 

: to present as a gift

bestowal

-ˈstō-əl 

noun

bestower noun