present 1 of 4

present

2 of 4

noun (2)

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

present

4 of 4

verb

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

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
For her daughter's birthday this year, OP sent a text to her ex with a recommendation for a present for their daughter. Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 The stock is now showing signs of life and judged to be an excellent opportunity on the long side at present. Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The irony of working at TPS present day is the city in which it’s housed. Okla Jones, Essence, 22 Oct. 2025 Some are naturally present in certain fruits and vegetables, but many types are synthetic. Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Lorey presented videos to Fox News Digital that showed other spectators at the game heckling the girls in attendance who were there with Lorey. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025 For Lovesac, the overhaul in its supply chain over the past decade presented growing pains, but the tariffs were really an opportunity to develop American manufacturing, a goal CEO Nelson had from the company’s inception. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for present
Recent Examples of Synonyms for present
Adjective
  • Billups was arrested less than nine hours after Portland’s season-opening season-opening loss at home, a game notably attended by the team’s current owner and a financier in the process of buying the franchise.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But current technologies like micro-LEDs hit a limit when pixels shrink below one micrometer.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, offers food benefits, breastfeeding services and nutrition education to 65,000 Arkansas women, infants and children younger than five.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
  • In an era when multinationals are diversifying away from single-market dependencies, Minister Al-Falih’s remarks made clear that Riyadh wants to anchor that shift — offering predictability, efficiency, and partnership in a volatile world.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In August, Norton introduced a bill to remove the Pike statue permanently.
    NPR, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The channel and news brand will begin rolling out 15 second spots today featuring talent like Rachel Maddow, officially introducing the rebrand to viewers.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Christy Brown pledged in 2022 to donate $30 million over 20 years toward renovating buildings in the institute's downtown campus.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Since 2010, several quilt guilds across the nation have donated nearly 200 quilts to volunteers in various aging brain studies at UCSD.
    Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There is growing optimism that the global oil glut—exacerbated by ongoing OPEC production hikes—will peak in the first half of 2026, allowing for the industry to rebound in the back half of next year, CEOs said.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The ongoing government shutdown is the latest wrinkle, presenting risks to both the actual economy and investors’ ability to understand what’s going on due to the lack of economic data collection.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The set is available in 19 colors, including a rich clay shade ideal for autumn.
    Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The details of the cases were not proactively made public beyond being made available for review for anyone who files a request under the state's public records law.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame memorably gave the dancing clown its first breath in a 1990 miniseries co-written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • When Salah was left out away at Galatasaray last month, Slot could sell it as keeping him fresh given the trip to Turkey fell between tricky Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The officer whose gun was taken by the teen has been placed on administrative leave, Roebuck shared, and said that both of the officers were volunteering while teaching the archery class that day.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The group of high school seniors volunteered as part of a first-time project for their literature and social justice class taught by Maeve Gavagan, an English teacher at Marquette High.
    Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Present.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/present. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on present

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!