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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gift
Noun
The program is back in 2025 under a lower income threshold of $55,000, thanks to a $5 million gift from Ascendium Education Group. Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Provide a small thank you gift to your closest neighbors after the work is done. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
Each is hand-poured into a striking rectangular amber glass vessel and presented in an elegant red box that feels tailor-made for gifting. Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025 Custom Viewfinder Reel Plus RetroViewer Load up this viewfinder with photos from your best moments together—vacations, date nights, that hilarious selfie from the concert—and gift her a hit of nostalgia with every click. Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gift
Noun
  • The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.
    Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Swift captioned her GoFundMe donation Taylor Swift is helping out a young fan in need.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Secondly, because of the academy and the talent coming through.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Kamara’s new venture is being represented by the talent agency New School, which also represents Campbell Addy, Jawara Alleyne and Gareth Wrighton.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Trinity community has been blessed by his presence.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Usually, the question was couched in politeness, but my students (bless them) had not yet learned to be subtle.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With 19 songs that fuse reggaetón with other Latin rhythms, DY presents LAMENTO EN BAILE, his first album since his conversion to faith.
    Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
  • By Emily Bazelon The novelist anticipated our bizarre present.
    Astead W. Herndon Astead W. Herndon Emily Bazelon Parul Sehgal Andrew Ross Sorkin Kwame Anthony Appiah Lisa Donovan Julian Brave NoiseCat John Hodgman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • So many of McAnally’s song ideas have been mined from his knack for finding stories in everyday life.
    Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Gundogan had a knack for producing big moments out of nowhere.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the junta chief Min Aung Hlaing met in Moscow in May to discuss cooperation, endowing the junta with an air of global legitimacy.
    Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This week Vilnius City Council has just greenlit the launch of the the first city fund in the country, the Vilnius Film Fund, endowed with a €100,000 ($116,700) budget.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While brainstorming solutions over coffee with a colleague, Oram realized a genetic test could offer clues for people with a less clear presentation of the disease.
    Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
  • At this year's Upfront advertising presentations, some companies, including Amazon's Prime Video, noted the recent success of podcast content as creators sign multimillion dollar deals and garner millions of followers and views.
    Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Cootes also has demonstrated some solid aptitude in the faceoff circle.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Her aptitude was unavoidable at the Fendi show, where top models holding desirable handbags, styled with joyful knits, eye-catching dresses and sporty separates, strutted past guests, including actors Hilary Duff, Naomi Watts and Bang Chan of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gift. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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