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
Derived Forms
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bestowalnoun
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bestowernoun
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bestowmentnoun
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prebestowalnoun
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misbestowverb (used with object)
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prebestowverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bestowsimple
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bestowssimple
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have bestowedperfect
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has bestowedperfect
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am bestowingprogressive
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are bestowingprogressive
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is bestowingprogressive
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have been bestowingperfect progressive
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has been bestowingperfect progressive
Past
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bestowedsimple
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had bestowedperfect
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was bestowingprogressive
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were bestowingprogressive
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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
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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.
See Examples For:
We are also a species insufficiently grateful, it seems, for the favors flowers bestow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Twenty-one percent of managers say Tesla is the market’s most richly valued stock, while 13% bestow the “honor” on Nvidia.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 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
Economic relief comes from the unlikeliest of sources: an Indian “compassionate appointment” law that can bestow a deceased government employee’s job to the surviving spouse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025
“I beg your pardon, Yollo. You need not look so pale, I was only playing with you. The Prince of Sorrows does not bestow his grey kiss lightly.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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
Can I bear the consciousness that every endearment he bestows is a sacrifice made on principle?
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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 Sharks won the league title in Finch’s second year in charge, and his own players marveled at the defensive superpowers he bestowed on them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Dame Mary Berry will be bestowed with Bafta's highest honorary award, the Bafta Fellowship, while Martin Lewis will receive the Special Award.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
Mild Mrs. Dent talked with good-natured Mrs. Eshton; and the two sometimes bestowed a courteous word or smile on me.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Neither the Kremlin nor Russian foreign ministry has publicly acknowledged posthumously bestowing the Order of Lenin, a Soviet-era award recognising outstanding civilian service, on Gloss.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2025
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
It's as if he's bestowing on the people a special gift from the king and they should be grateful to him personally.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2024
Oscar voters lined up behind a classic studio blockbuster on Tuesday, bestowing 13 nominations on Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” the most for any movie, and setting up the long-awaited coronation of Nolan as Hollywood’s leading filmmaker.
From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
Each year around June when the rains came, its waters would gather in might, churning with rich silt, flooding the plains, and bestowing abundant harvests for farmers and catches for fishermen.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
