bestow
Americanverb (used with object)
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bestows,
present (3rd person singular)
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bestowed,
past participle, past
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bestowing
present participle
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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:
One night, the five decide to bestow their honorific on Ticky, whom they consider “the cleverest of us all because you can tell the exact time without looking at a clock.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“We were providing them with data they thought was valuable that they want to replicate on their own using the best practices we could bestow on them,” Abramson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
At the time, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: "This universally popular figure deserves the highest praise the nation can bestow, and a knighthood is just that."
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025
In response to outcry over the plan to include Suharto, Prabowo's office had insisted he has the right to bestow the title upon whomever he chooses.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
Lanning did not trouble to answer, nor to do more than bestow a single cursory glance at the top sheet upon Bogert’s desk.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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
Cannes is a thoroughly French affair, but its love for le cinéma américain is evident everywhere from the faded images of Hollywood stars that are scattered about to the honorary awards that the event bestows.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2024
Harry Potter’s well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
As a precision-minded songwriter, she bestowed a kind of emotional dignity on everyday characters in hardscrabble circumstances; as a glittering pop persona, she called constant attention to the artifice of her own A-list stardom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Swiatek was bestowed the title of 'Queen of Clay' on her way to the rare feat of winning three consecutive Roland Garros titles between 2022 and 2024.
From BBC ● May 31, 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
It didn’t take long for Bogle to identify a sliver of daylight in the mandate bestowed upon his new firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
On his side he received what her generosity bestowed with great contentment.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
In addition to bestowing upon us the greatest of all human attributes—empathy—books also compel us to read in ever widening circles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The biggest engines are often installed in pairs or quads, bestowing “Miami Vice”-style speed on large vessels packed with creature comforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
In front of a crowd of attendees at the council hall on Monday, they were handed plaques by the mayor bestowing them with the status of "Adopted Sons of A Coruña".
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2025
The band earned 30 Top 40 hits in its lifetime, with the Recording Academy bestowing the Grammy Legend Award in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024
He turned to Bailey, touched the top of his head with the pointer as if he were bestowing knighthood.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
