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.
Bestow a superlative on her, and no matter how glowing, it proves inadequate.
From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2022
Insurers like Bestow use information from your application and big data algorithms to assess risk, and never require a medical exam.
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2020
Nearly 85% of people who apply for a Bestow policy do so on a mobile device, she says.
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2020
“The more information we have, the deeper the data that we have, the more capable we are of making sound decisions,” says Jackie Morales, chief insurance officer for Bestow, an insurer that uses accelerated underwriting.
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2020
Let not wisdom frown, If the grave clerk look on, and now and then Bestow a smile; for we may see, Alcanor, In this untoward race the ways of life.
From Highways and Byways in Sussex by Griggs, Frederick Landseer Maur
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.
