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

Town and Country reported in 2017 that the tiara was a gift to Princess Alice on her own wedding day, bestowed by her maternal aunt, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia (wife of Tsar Nicholas II). —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026

Soroptimist International of La Jolla bestowed a total of $25,000 to seven area women who are the primary financial providers for their families at its 2026 Live Your Dream Awards luncheon March 28 in La Jolla. —La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Cardio exercises like running, swimming, and cycling tend to bestow a bigger burn than strength training exercises like weight-lifting, for example. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026

The reputations of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Shigeru Ban, Bernard Tschumi, Alvaro Siza, and Tadao Ando do not depend on the one or two buildings each of them have bestowed on New York. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026

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