bestow
Americanverb (used with object)
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to present as a gift; give; confer (usually followed by on orupon ).
The trophy was bestowed upon the winner.
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Archaic. to put to some use; apply.
He was continually working the mines, expending money and bestowing his time, toil, and skill upon them.
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Archaic.
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to provide quarters for; house; lodge.
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to put; stow; deposit; store.
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verb
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to present (a gift) or confer (an award or honour)
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archaic to apply (energy, resources, etc)
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archaic to house (a person) or store (goods)
Other Word Forms
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
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List 2
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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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.
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
Australians demand success against Australia to bestow respect upon an opposing player.
From BBC • Dec. 4, 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
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
I could feel the logic in them, could sense their power to bestow order and symmetry, but I couldn’t unlock it.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
