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

… 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 

bē-

noun

bestower

bi-ˈstō(-ə)r 

bē-

noun

Synonyms of bestow

• donate
• give
• volunteer
• provide
• contribute
• present

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

Advertisement Mills has also faced scrutiny this year over the Bronze Star he was awarded in 2021 for service in Iraq in 2003, after NOTUS reported in May that veterans who served with him could not recall him being present at the incidents for which he was bestowed the military honor. —Connor Greene, Time, 21 Nov. 2025

The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the 2026 recipients of the Jazz Masters Fellowship, billed as the highest award bestowed by the United States on jazz musicians and advocates. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025

The Producers Guild of America will bestow its annual Norman Lear Achievement Award to Mara Brock Akil at the 2026 PGA Awards. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2025

Meanwhile, The Cord by Nolwenn Hervé took home the IDFA Forum Award for best rough cut project, while the IDFA DocLab Forum Award for best project was bestowed upon Body Count by Cris Bringas. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Nov. 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