bestow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
bestows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bestowed,
past participle, past
-
bestowing
present participle
-
to present as a gift; give; confer (usually followed by on orupon ).
The trophy was bestowed upon the winner.
-
Archaic. to put to some use; apply.
He was continually working the mines, expending money and bestowing his time, toil, and skill upon them.
-
Archaic.
-
to provide quarters for; house; lodge.
-
to put; stow; deposit; store.
-
verb
-
to present (a gift) or confer (an award or honour)
-
archaic to apply (energy, resources, etc)
-
archaic to house (a person) or store (goods)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
bestowalnoun
-
bestowernoun
-
bestowmentnoun
-
prebestowalnoun
-
misbestowverb (used with object)
-
prebestowverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bestowsimple
-
bestowssimple
-
have bestowedperfect
-
has bestowedperfect
-
am bestowingprogressive
-
are bestowingprogressive
-
is bestowingprogressive
-
have been bestowingperfect progressive
-
has been bestowingperfect progressive
Past
-
bestowedsimple
-
had bestowedperfect
-
was bestowingprogressive
-
were bestowingprogressive
-
had been bestowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bestow
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bestowen; see be-, stow ( def. )
Explanation
When you present an honor or a gift to someone, you bestow it, which is the same as giving it, but often classier and more respectful. Bestow comes from the Middle English stowen, "to place." Placing something really valuable or honoring in the hands of another, or conferring a position of responsibility on them, is to bestow it. For example, "She gave her teacher a ceramic apple she had made, knowing that her whole class would bestow the big honor of Teacher of the Year later that day," or, "The king praised her for working with the poor, and he would later bestow the medal of honor on her in a ceremony."
Vocabulary lists containing bestow
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And because we can learn from it, the authority we bestow on the dictionary is gratifyingly reciprocal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
In response to outcry over the plan to include Suharto, Prabowo's office had insisted he has the right to bestow the title upon whomever he chooses.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
So you’ll have to wait until next fall to see the Recording Academy bestow Swift with her eighth nomination for album of the year, as indeed it’s sure to do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025
The president also told reporters that he’d always wanted to be honored by the Kennedy Center, joking that he muscled his way into the institution to bestow the award on himself.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2025
And yet for me, the prerogative is that you should still bestow your blood whenever able.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Supporters think the passage bestows citizenship on virtually any person born in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
In order to truly feel the benefit and gift that this money bestows, you clearly need to make sure it makes a difference elsewhere, too.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026
“No,” he added, “it is the office of the president that bestows those far-reaching protections to the office holder.”
From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2025
Redemption implies salvation or forgiveness, two graces Lorraine lacks for strangers and barely bestows on loved ones.
From Salon ● Jan. 9, 2024
During his first month at Hanawon, he received documents and photo identification that certified his South Korea citizenship, which the government automatically bestows on all those who flee the North.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Three senior Ukrainian officials have also said they are returning awards bestowed by Poland, to show solidarity with their president.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Similarly, the prize for actor was bestowed on both Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, co-stars of Lukas Dhont’s World War I romantic drama “Coward.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026
The name “Atatürk,” bestowed by Turkey’s Grand National Assembly in 1934, means “Father of the Turks,” and it is Ms. Hansen’s argument that Mr. Erdogan is committing ideological patricide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Their impeccable hearing and quick thinking were rewarded by the Austrian emperor, who bestowed the pretzel bakers with their own coat of arms featuring two lions holding a massive pretzel.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
At the bottom of the stairs, Lillian bestowed a long holiday kiss on each one of her children and wished them a Merry Christmas.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
In addition to bestowing upon us the greatest of all human attributes—empathy—books also compel us to read in ever widening circles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The biggest engines are often installed in pairs or quads, bestowing “Miami Vice”-style speed on large vessels packed with creature comforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The bald eagle is now officially the national bird of the US, after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve bestowing the honour upon the white-headed and yellow-beaked bird of prey.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024
At February’s ceremony, Jay-Z publicly admonished the academy for bestowing dozens of Grammys on his wife while withholding the highest-profile award.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2024
He turned to Bailey, touched the top of his head with the pointer as if he were bestowing knighthood.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
