bestow
Syllables: be·stow/bɪˈstəʊ/US/bɪˈstoʊ/
bestow verb: to apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
Verb
bestow (third-person singular simple present bestows, present participle bestowing, simple past and past participle bestowed)
- To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
- All the voide time, that is betwene the huores of woorke ſlepe and meat, that they be ſuffered to beſtowe, euerye man as he lyketh beſte hym ſelfe.1551, Thomas More, “The Second Boke of the Communycacion of Raphael Hythlodaye, Concernynge the Best State of a Commen Wealthe: Cõteynyng the Discription of Utopia, with a Large Declaration of the...
- [S]ince the voyce / Of moſt ſupreme Authority commands / My abſence: I determine to beſtovv / Some time in learning Languages abroad; […]1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Hugh Beeston, […], →OCLC, Act I
- To apply (money) for some purpose; to expend, to spend.
- O if I had had time to haue made nevv liueries: I vvoulde haue beſtovved the thouſand pound I borrovved of you, but tis no matter, this poore ſhevv doth better, this doth inferre the zeale I had to ſee him.c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600...
- And thou ſhalt beſtow that money for whatſoeuer thy ſoule lutſeth after, for oxen, or for ſheepe, or for wine, or for ſtrong drinke, or for whatſoeuer thy ſoule deſireth: and thou ſhalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou ſhalt reioyce, thou and thine houſhold.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 14:26, column 1
- To impart (something) gratuitously; to present (something) to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; to confer, to give, to accord; to render.
- I bestow upon you the name of Peter.
- Medals were bestowed on the winning team.
- To place or put (someone or something) somewhere or in a certain situation; to dispose of.
- The diuell take the one partie, / And his dam the other, / And theyle be both beſtovved. / I haue endured more for their ſakes, / Then man is able to endure.c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, […] [T]he Merrie Wiues of Windsor. […] (First Quarto), London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for Arthur Ihonson, […], published 1602, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]
- Moreover I haue […] beſtovved the chiefe grounds, Principles, Rules, and Obſeruations [of heraldry] vnder their proper heads, and manifeſted their vſe by examples of ſpeciall choice, […]1610, John Guillim, “To the Courteous Reader”, in A Display of Heraldrie: […], London: […] William Hall for Raphe Mab, →OCLC
- To deposit (something) for safekeeping; to lay up (something) in store; to stow.
- The londes of a certayne man brought forth frutes plenteouſly⸝ and he thought in hym ſilfe ſayinge: whatt ſhall I do⸝ becauſe I have noo roume where to beſtowe my frutes?1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Gospell off S. Luke xij:[16], folio xcvij, recto
- Novv as I am a Chriſtian anſvver me, / In vvhat ſafe place you haue beſtovv'd my monie; / Or I ſhall breake that merrie ſconce of yours / That ſtands on tricks, vvhen I am vndiſpos'd: / VVhere is the thouſand Markes thou hadſt of me?c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
- To provide (someone or oneself) with accommodation; to find quarters for (someone or oneself); to lodge, to quarter.
- The ſixteene daye of May they were al beſtovved abourd in Spaniſh ſhippes furniſhed with victual, & other neceſſaries for that iourney.1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “King Henry the Eyghte”, in The Laste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume II, London: […] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, page 1472, column 2
- […] I heare / Macduffe liues in diſgrace. Sir, can you tell / VVhere he beſtovves himſelfe?c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
- To behave or conduct (oneself); to acquit.
- Novv therefore vvould I haue thee to my Tutor / (For long agone I haue forgot to court, / Beſides the faſhion of the time is chang'd) / Hovv, and vvhich vvay I may beſtovv my ſelfe / To be regarded in her ſun-bright eye.c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
- Hovv might vve ſee Falſtaffe beſtovv himſelf to night in his true colours, and not our ſelues be ſeene?c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600...
- To give (someone or oneself) in marriage.
- You ſay, if I bring in your Roſalinde, / You vvill beſtovv her on Orlando heere?c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
- I could have bestowed her upon a fine gentleman, who extremely admired her wit, and would have given her a coach and six: […]1709 October 11 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Joseph Addison; Richard Steele], “Friday, October 1, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 75; republished in [Richard Steele]...
Noun
bestow (plural bestows)
- An act of presenting a thing to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; a bestowal.
- The Muſes bacely begge, or bibbe, or both, and muſt, for vvhy? / They finde as bad Beſtoe as is their Portage beggerly: / Yea novv by melancholie vvalkes and thred-bare coates vve geſſe / At Clyents and at Poetes: none vvorke more and profit leſſe, […]1602, William Warner, “The Fifth Booke. Chapter XXVII.”, in Albions England. A Continued Historie of the Same Kingdome, from the Originals of the First Inhabitants thereof: […], 5th edition, London...
- Synonyms:
- bestowing, bestowment
bestow meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali
bestow in Hindi
- to bestow
- बिलाना bilānā
bestow in Tamil
- to impart (something) gratuitously; to present (something) to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour
- அளி aḷi
bestow in Urdu
- عطا کرنا, بخشنا, عنایت کرنا, ٹکانا
bestow in Bengali
- প্রদান করা, অর্পণ করা
More languagesFewer languages
- bestow in Malayalam
- ചൊരിയുക, സമ്മാനിക്കുക
- bestow in Kannada
- ನೀಡು, ಕೊಡು, ಅರ್ಪಿಸು, ದಯಪಾಲಿಸು
- bestow in Sanskrit
- ददाति dadāti
- bestow in Arabic
- أَنْعَمَ ʔanʕama
- bestow in Thai
- มอบ mɔ̂ɔp
Examples of bestow in a sentence
- For yͤ vngodly Athalia & hir ſonnes haue waiſted the houſe of God: and all that was halowed for the houſe of the LORDE, haue they beſtowed on Baalim.1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius...
- Soft tears again bedewed my cheeks, and I even raised my humid eyes with thankfulness towards the blessed sun which bestowed such joy upon me.1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VIII, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II...
- He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially.1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 11:
- Do they [parents] not sneakingly bestow on me their crass inability to do anything with their own misbegotten progeny, a subterfuge which I scornfully fub off on text-books?1930, Norman Lindsay, chapter 4, in Every Mother’s Son [Redheap], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation...
Synonyms of bestow
Forms of bestow
| Verb | |
|---|---|
| third-person singular present | bestows |
| present participle | bestowing |
| past participle | bestowed |
| past | bestowed |
| second-person singular present (archaic) | bestowest |
| second-person singular past (archaic) | bestowedst |
| third-person singular present (archaic) | bestoweth |
| Noun | |
| plural | bestows |
Origin of bestow
PIE word *h₁épi The verb is derived from Middle English bestowen, bistouen, bistowen (“to give, bestow; to apply (something to something else); to arrange or have control over (something); to place (someone) in a position; to use (for some purpose); (reflexive) to find (oneself) a place to live or shelter”) [and other forms], from bi- (prefix forming verbs, often with a completive, figurative, or intensive meaning) + stouen, stowen (“to pack (cargo) in a ship, stow; to place (someone) in a certain position; to provide quarters for, lodge; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to place; to stand (up)”)). The English word is analysable as be- (intensifying prefix forming verbs) + stow (“to put (something) away in a suitable place; etc.”). The noun is derived from the verb.
Words formed from bestow
Words that rhyme with bestow
Questions about bestow
- What does bestow mean?
- Bestow means to apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
- What is bestow in Hindi?
- Bestow in Hindi is बिलाना (bilānā). See Bestow meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use bestow in a sentence?
- For yͤ vngodly Athalia & hir ſonnes haue waiſted the houſe of God: and all that was halowed for the houſe of the LORDE, haue they beſtowed on Baalim.
- What part of speech is bestow?
- Bestow can be a verb or a noun.
- How do you pronounce bestow?
- Bestow is pronounced /bɪˈstəʊ/ (UK).
- What is the past tense of bestow?
- The past tense of bestow is bestowed.
Words near bestow in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: bestow (page history and authors); बिलाना (Hindi) (page history and authors); bestow (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); bestow (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); bestow (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); bestow (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bestow.wav.
Cite this entry: “bestow.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/bestow. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.