BESTOW
Dictionary entry overview: What does bestow mean?
• BESTOW (verb)
The verb BESTOW has 3 senses:
1. present
2. give as a gift
3. bestow a quality on
Familiarity information: BESTOW used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• BESTOW (verb)
Meaning:
Present
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Synonyms:
bestow; confer
Context examples:
The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated / bestow an honor on someone
Hypernyms (to "bestow" is one way to...):
award; present (give, especially as an honor or reward)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bestow"):
miter (confer a miter on (a bishop))
bless (confer prosperity or happiness on)
graduate (confer an academic degree upon)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something on somebody
Meaning:
Give as a gift
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Hypernyms (to "bestow" is one way to...):
give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something on somebody
Meaning:
Bestow a quality on
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Synonyms:
contribute; lend; impart; add; bestow; bring
Context examples:
Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company / The music added a lot to the play / She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings / This adds a light note to the program
Hypernyms (to "bestow" is one way to...):
alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bestow"):
instill; transfuse (impart gradually)
tinsel (impart a cheap brightness to)
throw in (add as an extra or as a gratuity)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
