gift
1 Americannoun
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something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
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the act of giving.
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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.
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a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent.
the gift of saying the right thing at the right time.
verb (used with object)
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to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.
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to present (someone) with a gift.
just the thing to gift the newlyweds.
noun
noun
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something given; a present
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a special aptitude, ability, or power; talent
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the power or right to give or bestow (esp in the phrases in the gift of, in ( someone's ) gift )
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the act or process of giving
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(usually negative) to find fault with a free gift or chance benefit
verb
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to present (something) as a gift to (a person)
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(often foll by with) to present (someone) with a gift
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rare to endow with; bestow
acronym
Related Words
See present 2.
Other Word Forms
- giftless adjective
Etymology
Origin of gift
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse gift; cognate with Old English gift ( Middle English yift ) “marriage gift”; akin to give
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.
As proof of the Artega's influence, he keeps at home what he says are swords and uniforms gifted to his ancestors by Queen Victoria during the British colonial period.
From Barron's
Viewers being exposed to and captivated by Seyfried’s sincerely spectacular work are receiving a gift, perhaps without even realizing it.
From Salon
That it comes together in a single pot feels less like a compromise than a weeknight gift.
From Salon
I know they would want this money to be used for what brings me joy, but I feel deeply conflicted about paying for all of these major life milestones with this gift.
From MarketWatch
WSJ | Buy Side: See our guide to the best last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts.
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.
