something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
the act of giving.
something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned.
Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.
a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent.
the gift of saying the right thing at the right time.
to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.
to present (someone) with a gift.
just the thing to gift the newlyweds.
something given; a present
a special aptitude, ability, or power; talent
the power or right to give or bestow (esp in the phrases in the gift of, in ( someone's ) gift )
the act or process of giving
(usually negative) to find fault with a free gift or chance benefit
to present (something) as a gift to (a person)
(often foll by with) to present (someone) with a gift
rare to endow with; bestow
See present 2.
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse gift; cognate with Old English gift ( Middle English yift ) “marriage gift”; akin to give
A gift is an item that's given without any expectation of payment — it's a present. A gift may be the present you receive on your birthday or it may be a natural gift or talent you possess — like your gift for reading lips. People give gifts to mark special occasions, like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries. and some holidays. Sometimes tourists buy gifts while on vacation and bring them home to their friends and family. Another kind of gift is a special ability: "She has such a gift for learning languages." The root of gift is probably the Old Norse gipt or gift, which means both "gift" and "good luck."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was so inspired by her gift that I started taking private lessons with her on Saturdays.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
“If I’m giving a gift … I just think there’s something more personal for them opening a card and having that piece of paper come fluttering out,” Bell said.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
Farage acknowledged receiving the funds but said it was an unconditional gift to fund his personal protection.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
He said the £5m gift had been given on an unconditional basis when Farage was not "even thinking of standing to be an MP" but that he later changed his mind.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
When Mom saw the gift, she said the leather was fake and the color would fade.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
