bestow

bestow — verb

1. to formally give a person something valuable — such as an award, a title, or a s

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to formally give a person something valuable — such as an award, a title, or a special quality — usually as a way of marking respect or recognising what they have done.

Example

The university bestowed an honorary doctorate on the retired judge at the spring ceremony.

bestow + thing + on + recipient (formal honour)

Queen Margrethe bestowed a knighthood upon the explorer who mapped the Arctic ice fields.

bestow + thing + upon + recipient (literary register)

Common collocations
  • bestow an honour
  • bestow a title
  • bestow a blessing
  • bestow praise
  • bestow a gift
  • be bestowed on / upon
  • generously bestow
Synonyms
  • confer

    near-synonym in formal/legal contexts; 'confer a degree on' is interchangeable with 'bestow'.

  • grant

    neutral register; emphasises permission or right rather than honour.

  • award

    implies a prize earned through merit or competition, often after a decision.

  • present

    ceremonial handover, but lighter than 'bestow' and used for medals, certificates, flowers.

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to deliberately not give something that could be given.

  • deny

    to refuse to grant something that was requested.

Grammar Patterns

bestow + something + on/upon + somebody

Usage Note

Object is usually something prestigious or carefully chosen — an honour, title, award, gift, blessing, or quality — never an ordinary item you might hand over in daily life. The recipient is introduced by 'on' or, more literary, 'upon'. Frequently appears in the passive ('was bestowed on…').

Common Mistakes

My friend bestowed me a coffee.
My friend gave me a coffee.
'bestow' is reserved for formal or ceremonial giving, not everyday transactions.
The committee bestowed the prize to the winner.
The committee bestowed the prize on the winner.
the recipient takes 'on' or 'upon', never 'to'.

Word family

  • bestowal
    nounC2
  • bestower
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe giving, but each carries a different weight. 'Bestow' is the most ceremonial and often literary, picturing a giver who freely chooses to honour the receiver — 'bestow a blessing on the child'. 'Confer' is the closest sibling but feels institutional and legal: universities confer degrees, courts confer rights. 'Grant' is neutral and transactional, emphasising permission or formal allowance — 'the bank granted her a loan'. 'Award' implies merit or competition: a panel decides who deserves the prize. 'Present' focuses on the visible ceremony of handover, often with a physical object: 'the mayor presented him with a medal'. Compare: a king bestows a knighthood, a university confers a doctorate, a judge grants an appeal, a jury awards damages, a host presents flowers.

bestow ↗confer ↗grant ↗award ↗present ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bestow upon someone the honour of
  • be bestowed with

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'bistowen', formed from 'bi-' (meaning 'about, around') and 'stow' (a place). The original sense was 'to put in a place, to lodge', and over time it shifted toward the figurative meaning of 'placing' something — an honour, a gift, a quality — into someone's possession. The modern formal sense of granting an honour developed by the late Middle English period.