bestow

verb

bi-ˈstō How to pronounce bestow (audio)
Definition of bestownext
1
as in to donate
to make a present of bestowed a new car on their son for graduation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accommodate
to provide with living quarters or shelter eventually the refugee family was bestowed in its own apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bestow contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bestow are afford, confer, donate, give, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When would afford be a good substitute for bestow?

In some situations, the words afford and bestow are roughly equivalent. However, 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 is confer a more appropriate choice than bestow?

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

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of bestow?

The meanings of donate and bestow largely overlap; however, donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When is it sensible to use give instead of bestow?

While the synonyms give and bestow are close in meaning, 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 might present be a better fit than bestow?

The synonyms present and bestow are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 bestow Basquiat bestowed little gifts upon the place. —Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 The Chaplin Award has been bestowed upon legendary actors and filmmakers such as Jeff Bridges, Viola Davis, Robert De Niro, Barbara Streisand, Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Altman, Billy Wilder, and Elizabeth Taylor. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2025 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles were bestowed upon them by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth on their 2018 wedding day. —Janine Henni, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025 No matter the type of fish bestowed upon you by your fishmonger (tuna steaks today, mackerel tomorrow, snapper for Saturday), the right preparation will bring out its very best. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bestow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestow
  1. donate
  2. accommodate
  3. give
  4. house
  5. volunteer
  6. shelter
  7. provide
  8. lodge
Verb
  • These 14 centers include some that maintain banks of brains that were donated to science by people who suffered from dementia upon their death.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2025
  • For two decades after graduating from Harvard, Samuel Graham-Felsen never donated to his alma mater.
    — Vimal Patel, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of donate
Verb
  • Modern mainframes offer significant processing power, handling up to 30,000 transactions per second, and can accommodate substantial data with up to 40 terabytes of memory.
    — Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The new bridge is an 80-foot-long, single-span bridge to provide better flow of water in Columbia Hollow Creek and is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and is designed to accommodate all legal loads.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of accommodate
Verb
  • Some journalists who cover the Capitol have given Thune the nickname Hot Grandpa.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Huang gave Bibb a white T-shirt and some twine and showed her how to tie the fabric into a sausage shape.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of give
Verb
  • The rear compartment houses the power cable, two cleaning pads, and the safety cord.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Consider this compact case that’s ready to house your passport.
    — Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of house
Verb
  • She’s continued to take classes for more than 10 years now and also volunteers for the institute.
    — Jeanne Rawdin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Drone to Home, based in the U.K, has hundreds of drone operators and Wellbeing Walkers who volunteer their time to search for missing animals.
    — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of volunteer
Verb
  • The proposal would also include the entry of equipment necessary for sheltering Palestinians displaced in Gaza.
    — Irene Nasser, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
  • South Korea reflects other Asia economies in abandoning previous protectionism designed to shelter promising but weak domestic enterprises.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Definition of shelter
Verb
  • Dutch florists provided tens of thousands of flowers in an intricate, colorful layout − a tradition in its 39th year.
    — John Bacon, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Game 1 provided valuable lessons for Cunningham, despite the loss.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of provide
Verb
  • According to Chief Joseph Ranch’s website, the cabin was built in 1916 and was used as lodging for the ranch’s staff.
    — Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Archaeologists uncovered two iron spearheads, one of which was found lodged in a hip bone.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of lodge

Browse Nearby Words

bestirs
bestow
bestowal
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Cite this Entry

“Bestow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestow. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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