bestow

1 of 2

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

bestowal

2 of 2

noun

be·​stow·​al bi-ˈstō-əl 

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

Verb

• 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

Verb

The university bestowed on her an honorary degree.

bestowed a new car on their son for graduation

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

State workers from six departments were bestowed with California’s highest honor for public employees who have performed daring rescues in extreme conditions, including floods, wildfires and active shooter incidents. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026

The overhaul is vast and ambitious, but aims to maintain the current capacity of 88,548 while preserving the spirit of the Swamp — the nickname Steve Spurrier bestowed on one of the best game-day atmospheres in college football. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2026

That means raising pay in real terms, not merely bestowing nominal bumps which can be wiped out by inflation. —Randi Weingarten, Time, 11 June 2026

The board annually bestows honorary awards for lifetime achievement. —Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026

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

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