gift 1 of 2

gift

2 of 2

verb

as in to bless
to furnish freely or naturally with some power, quality, or attribute gifted with an uncanny ability to persuade people to do things they ordinarily wouldn't

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun gift differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of gift are aptitude, bent, faculty, genius, knack, and talent. While all these words mean "a special ability for doing something," gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

When can aptitude be used instead of gift?

The words aptitude and gift can be used in similar contexts, but aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

How do bent and aptitude relate to one another, in the sense of gift?

Bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

Where would faculty be a reasonable alternative to gift?

In some situations, the words faculty and gift are roughly equivalent. However, faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

When could genius be used to replace gift?

The meanings of genius and gift largely overlap; however, genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

When would knack be a good substitute for gift?

Although the words knack and gift have much in common, knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

In what contexts can talent take the place of gift?

The synonyms talent and gift are sometimes interchangeable, but talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

Examples of gift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Starmer, who declared all of the gifts in line with parliamentary rules, has since repaid more than £6,000 pounds (around $7,800) to cover the cost of the gifts. Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024 The annual exclusion for gifts will go up to $19,000, up from $18,000 in 2024. Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Pandas have been a symbol of diplomacy between the U.S. and China since 1972 when China gifted a pair to the zoo. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024 What if instead he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion? Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gift 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near gift

Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gift. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on gift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!