bestow

1 of 2

verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to put to use : apply
bestowed his spare time on study
2
: to put in a particular or appropriate place : stow
… saw her down the path and 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 How to pronounce bestow (audio)
bē-
noun
bestower
bi-ˈstō(-ə)r How to pronounce bestow (audio)
bē-
noun

bestowal

2 of 2

noun

be·​stow·​al bi-ˈstō-əl How to pronounce bestowal (audio)
bē-
plural -s
1
: the act of bestowing or conferring : presentation
conditions for bestowal of a name—Leslie Spier
: an instance of bestowing : gift
viewed these afflictions as God's bestowals upon his saints
2
: the act or an instance of bestowing in a given place or position : the condition of being bestowed : storage
an odor of mothballs that told of long bestowal—Marguerite Steen

Synonyms of bestow

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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

Verb 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.
Verb
He was also recently named a chevalier of the French government’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres; the honor was bestowed upon him in Ghana by Diarra Dime Labille, France’s Ambassador to the West African country. — Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 The jury will also bestow the best actor and actress awards, and may also award a screenplay award or an artistic achievement award. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 The honor, bestowed annually by the actors’ guild for career and humanitarian accomplishments, will be handed out during SAG-AFTRA’s 2027 Actor Awards ceremony February 28 at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. — Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 After bestowing the jokey prize on actor Timothée Chalamet last year, Edwards announced that the coveted 2026 White Boy of the Year prize went to Justin Bieber. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bestow

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Rhymes for bestow

See All Rhymes for bestow

Browse Nearby Words

best (out) of three/five/seven
bestow
bestowal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bestow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bestow. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bestow

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