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

Emeralds, for one, were thought to bestow wisdom, healing, and eternal life onto the wearer, Christie’s says. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 June 2025

Queen Elizabeth bestowed Prince Harry and Meghan with the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their May 2018 wedding day, and the couple has continued royal tradition by adopting their Sussex titles as the inspiration for the children's surname. —Janine Henni, People.com, 16 June 2025

The Mass, held at the historic St. Patrick's Cathedral, came a day after Rangel's body lay in state at New York City Hall, an honor bestowed to only a handful of political figures. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 14 June 2025

The award, the highest Britain's antiquated honors system can bestow, was almost inevitable given Beckham's success as a player and his contribution to the country's culture. —Patrick Smith, NBC news, 13 June 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