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
In an interview with the New York Times in 2016, Appignani spoke about his decision to give UM the gift. — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 And many other schools have drawn gifts in excess of $100 million. — William Blomquist, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
Mike Babcock didn’t gift us with that many memorable quotes in his 4 1/2 years as head coach in Toronto, but this one remains hard to forget. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Business owners can make the most of this limit by gifting minority interests well before their company goes to market. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gift
Noun
  • One of the largest donors to a pop-up super PAC supporting Muslim or pro-Palestinian candidates is the president of an Islamic organization that collects obligatory religious donations mandated by Sharia law.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The overhaul would also tighten restrictions on community development grants and donations by requiring those funds be tied to a specific project.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Games Can’t Gamble on Talent Opportunities to develop emerging talent are becoming harder to find, particularly in video games, van Beek said.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Some from the more traditional world struggled to understand a TV and film production company that began life as a music video producer and doubled as a commercials maker and talent house for directors.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Kristian Matsson, who records under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, is both blessed and cursed by having arrived nearly fully formed.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles blessed us with that on Sunday.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Selma also has pseudobulbar affect, a neurological condition secondary to her MS, which bears directly on how a medical episode presents to people who do not know her.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Growing up Gottlieb remembers Movado as a destination for her and her mother — for bat mitzvah presents, milestone birthdays and pieces of their own.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • All four movies exhibit Mackenzie’s knack for trenchant social and political commentary slightly heightened by his elegance as a dramatist and visceral genre filmmaker, and all are accompanied by illuminating supplements.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The album was produced by James Ford, one half of the electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco; Ford has also produced records for Geese, Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Blur, and Depeche Mode, and has a particular knack for making songs sound both verdant and raw.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • An essential state role, parallel to provisioning basic services like education and healthcare, is endowing a wide open aesthetic field of form and meaning and collective sensibility.
    — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Gorgoni shot his images in the snow, endowing Shift with a stark graphic identity devoid of human occupancy.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Calvin Klein himself showed up at Leoni’s debut runway presentation in February 2025, seated in the front row alongside Kelly Klein, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The focus was how AI can be integrated and optimize the existing business – rather than presentation of noisy (and controversial) slates of AI TV shows and movies.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Duke then entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where his aptitude for foreign languages was recognized with a prize.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Naturally, his work at Celine has now been put in conversation with hers, especially because both designers share an aptitude for creating clothes real people want to wear–and, therefore, many of the same fans.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gift. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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