Definition of giftnext

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 combination of David’s wonderful scripts, Lenny back directing on the BBC, Element Pictures producing, and Claire and Mathew leading our cast is a real gift. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 July 2026 Things intensified when Diana spotted Charles wearing personalized cufflinks, a gift from her husband’s ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles. Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Verb
Ao Tanaka was guilty of the loose touch in the centre circle, which gifted possession to Davis Keillor-Dunn for Wrexham’s counter and Smith’s winner. Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 July 2026 Her Imagination Library, founded in 1995 in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write, has now gifted more than 300 million books to children. Debbie Millman, Time, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gift
Noun
  • Lê Shackelford said the revenue generated at the store goes back to the vendors or helps fund the nonprofit’s efforts, which could not rely solely on grants and donations.
    Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Partners relied on federal, state, county and city funding and grants and sought private donations in an effort spearheaded by First 5 Solano.
    Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Avoiding represented talent or hindering communication only exacerbates the issue.
    Chris Ryan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • That would allow the Cowboys to go out and sign free agents in a pool of available talent that does still have solid players.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Jon asks, suggesting a name and/or laying the groundwork for his priest father to come and bless the child.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
  • One of her most significant feats was leading a team of artists over the course of a decade to illustrate a massive New Testament Bible written by hand in the Old Georgian language — an endeavor blessed by the Georgian Patriarch himself.
    The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • One of the big reasons for this gap between our present and our future is that the consequences of health aren't immediate.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Since the start of his papacy, Leo has spoken about the risks AI presents for broad swaths of society.
    Walter Scheirer, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Giving lips a soft focus finish Lipstick has a knack for settling into fine lines, but the right prep and formula can help keep your lips looking smooth.
    Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 29 July 2026
  • One thing Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart have in common—besides making travel look impossibly chic—is a knack for keeping things easy.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Seeing an old bulky PC with a PC-DOS command line OS takes those of us of a certain age back to the heady days when computers were exciting and new, even though they had not yet been endowed with the eerie cognitive powers of LLMs.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • But they’re endowed with a fundamentally different intelligence, one shaped by a separate evolutionary path and defined by a nervous system that’s distributed throughout their bodies rather than centralized like that of the brains of most animals.
    Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • The hearing will also feature presentations from representatives of insurance companies.
    Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The best part of the competition is taking a deep dive into a specific topic, Wadkins said, and also listening to the other students’ presentations to learn more about a specific time or person in history.
    Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Interrogations into rabbit vampirism aside, Bunnicula compelled me most because its narrator is a dog—one who, despite his aptitude for writing, cannot otherwise communicate with people.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Mox shoved Rick Knox, who still didn’t have the guts or aptitude to call for a disqualification.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gift. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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