bestow

[ bih-stoh ]

/ bɪˈstoʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bestow ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to present as a gift; give; confer (usually followed by on or upon): The trophy was bestowed upon the winner.

to put to some use; apply: Time spent in study is time well bestowed.

Archaic.

to provide quarters for; house; lodge.
to put; stow; deposit; store.

Nearby words

bestialize, bestially, bestiary, bestie, bestir, bestow, bestraddle, bestrew, bestride, bestrow, bestseller

Origin of bestow

1275–1325; Middle English bestowen. See be-, stow

SYNONYMS FOR bestow

1 grant, vouchsafe, award, accord.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bestow ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

be·stow·al, be·stow·ment, nounmis·be·stow, verb (used with object)pre·be·stow, verb (used with object)pre·be·stow·al, noun

un·be·stowed, adjectivewell-be·stowed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bestowed

She also features a more natural face than the one of docile serenity so often bestowed on the Queen of Heaven.
The Virgin Mary Lookbook|William O’Connor|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They shared a birthday—July 8—and Nelson always thought that bestowed some sort of personal aura on him.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That level of hate would never be bestowed upon someone was anything short of a revolutionary.
We Need MLK’s Revolutionary Spirit|Roland S. Martin|January 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The medal is one of more than 250 awards that have been bestowed upon him.
Six Defining Moments From Nelson Mandela’s Life (video)|Nina Strochlic|December 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Each age in our past history has bestowed on us its own contribution, as well as its own continuing curse.
The Invention of the Ego in Martin Luther’s Defiance|Thomas Cahill|November 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It supported a grammar school, an almshouse for thirty-two poor people, and bestowed liberal gifts on the poor.
Parish Priests and Their People in the Middle Ages in England|Edward L. Cutts
This gift was bestowed on the jurisconsults of the first, and to some in the second and third centuries.
The Faith of Islam|Edward Sell
The jewellers of the last century do not seem to have bestowed the same attention on design as their predecessors did.
Rambles of an Archaeologist Among Old Books and in Old Places|Frederick William Fairholt
I began to wish that nature had bestowed upon me a noisier temperament.
Paul Kelver|Jerome Klapka, AKA Jerome K. Jerome
He also bestowed the sum of £1,000 for the relief of poor debtors.
London and the Kingdom - Volume III|Reginald R. Sharpe

British Dictionary definitions for bestowed

bestow

/ (bɪˈstəʊ) /

verb (tr)

to present (a gift) or confer (an award or honour)

archaic to apply (energy, resources, etc)

archaic to house (a person) or store (goods)

Derived Forms

bestowal or bestowment, nounbestower, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012