present 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpre-zᵊnt How to pronounce present (audio)
Definition of presentnext
as in gift
something given to someone without expectation of a return an impressive array of presents for the bride and groom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

present

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈpre-zᵊnt How to pronounce present (audio)
as in today
the time currently existing or in progress I cannot talk to you at present, but perhaps in a few minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

present

3 of 4

adjective

ˈpre-zᵊnt How to pronounce present (audio)
1
as in current
existing or in progress right now I am very busy at the present moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attending
being within the confines of a specified place all of you are required to be present for every meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

present

4 of 4

verb

pri-ˈzent How to pronounce present (audio)
1
as in to offer
to bring before the public in performance or exhibition we will present a performance of Our Town tomorrow evening

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to introduce
to make (one person) known (to another) socially may I present my niece Sarah?

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to donate
to make a present of the company presented a gold watch to him on the occasion of his retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb present contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of present are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and give. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

In what contexts can afford take the place of present?

The words afford and present are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When might bestow be a better fit than present?

While in some cases nearly identical to present, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is it sensible to use confer instead of present?

In some situations, the words confer and present are roughly equivalent. However, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

Where would donate be a reasonable alternative to present?

The synonyms donate and present are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When could give be used to replace present?

While the synonyms give and present are close in meaning, 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

How does the verb present contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of present are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and give. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

In what contexts can afford take the place of present?

The words afford and present are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When might bestow be a better fit than present?

While in some cases nearly identical to present, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is it sensible to use confer instead of present?

In some situations, the words confer and present are roughly equivalent. However, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

Where would donate be a reasonable alternative to present?

The synonyms donate and present are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When could give be used to replace present?

While the synonyms give and present are close in meaning, 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

How does the verb present contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of present are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and give. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

In what contexts can afford take the place of present?

The words afford and present are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When might bestow be a better fit than present?

While in some cases nearly identical to present, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is it sensible to use confer instead of present?

In some situations, the words confer and present are roughly equivalent. However, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

Where would donate be a reasonable alternative to present?

The synonyms donate and present are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When could give be used to replace present?

While the synonyms give and present are close in meaning, 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

How does the verb present contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of present are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and give. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

In what contexts can afford take the place of present?

The words afford and present are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When might bestow be a better fit than present?

While in some cases nearly identical to present, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is it sensible to use confer instead of present?

In some situations, the words confer and present are roughly equivalent. However, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

Where would donate be a reasonable alternative to present?

The synonyms donate and present are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When could give be used to replace present?

While the synonyms give and present are close in meaning, 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

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 present
Noun
At present, though, Denver will enter training camp in 2026 with futures signee Nash Jones as the only offensive lineman on the roster who will be younger than 26 years old. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026 Kelly’s debut romps with the animal, real and imagined, exploring love and wounding through the animal-nature of our feelings, the precarious past and present of our human lives. —Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Thankfully all the usual multi-touch gestures remain present. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026 Fifteen were not present for the vote. —ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
During closing arguments last week, prosecutors acknowledged the evidence presented in the case was circumstantial. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026 Cornyn strengthened his argument by finishing first and by presenting himself as the safer choice in November. —Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for present
Recent Examples of Synonyms for present
  1. current
  2. offer
  3. introduce
  4. donate
  5. ongoing
  6. available
  7. give
  8. volunteer
Adjective
  • Broadcom reported earnings and revenue beat, and issued a strong forecast for the current period, as the chipmaker rides the artificial intelligence boom.
    — Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
  • That’s wins in 10 straight road outings for the Hornets, who also own the NBA’s longest current longest overall win streak at six games — with all the triumphs coming by at least 16 points.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of current
Verb
  • But experts say previous federal document disclosures related to UAPs can offer clues to what’s in store for the next release.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Trump, meanwhile, has struck a decidedly defiant tone — offering few of the reassurances or rationalizations that past presidents have offered in the initial stages of war, and sounding more unbothered than embattled.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of offer
Verb
  • These age prediction tools, introduced at the start of 2026, use factors such as the length of time an account has been active and its usage patterns to determine the authentic age of the user.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 7 Mar. 2026
  • To complement the sweet heat flavors of the new sandwich, the beloved chicken chain is also introducing a full line of four Strawberry Hibiscus flavored beverages.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of introduce
Verb
  • The port has already planted acres of mangroves and sea grass and donated the land to the state of Florida to offset the habitat that would be destroyed during dredging.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
  • So much so that in 2016, almost 40,000 Kiwis banded together to buy the beach from a private entity for more than $2 million and donated it to New Zealand's Department of Conservation.
    — Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Definition of donate
Adjective
  • Talks with prospective buyers have been ongoing, according to a person close to the agency but not authorized to speak publicly.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The ongoing partnership continues to captivate fashion fans—while selling through, almost instantaneously.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of ongoing
Adjective
  • Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
  • If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of available
Verb
  • Noting some confusion over the like-for-like numbers this year, given recent changes to the business structure, the analysts said that weapon and ammunition growth will remain elevated, and there is scope for its naval business to be resilient, too.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The dozens of demonstrators who signed up to give their public comment had to wait outside.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of give
Verb
  • That’s because her friend and fellow actor, Melissa Peterman, has volunteered for the job.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Kids gain a sense of self-worth by volunteering in the community.
    — Barrie Gillies, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of volunteer

Phrases Containing present

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presences
present
presentable
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Cite this Entry

“Present.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/present. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on present

Nglish: Translation of present for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about present

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