bestowed

American  

[bih-stohd] / bɪˈstoʊd /

adjective

1. presented as a gift or privilege; given or conferred.

   As the official addressed them, some members of the audience shouted with joy over their newly bestowed citizenship.

2. Archaic. applied; put to some use.

   If I regarded the present discussion concerning baptism as only about mere mode or form, I should think my time and labor poorly bestowed.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bestow.

Other Word Forms

• unbestowed adjective
• well-bestowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of bestowed

bestow ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Even his new title - 'Mister', bestowed on all managers in Italy - is something he is still getting used to.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The couple will still be on a high after all the festivities and luxuriating in the afterglow of the love — and cash — bestowed upon them.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The historian Rachel Trethewey corrects that in a lively biography, “Muv,” which takes its title from the nickname Sydney’s children bestowed on her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Back in 2023, that prestige was bestowed upon tomatoes, which moved beyond the grocery store aisles to become an aesthetic and a way of life with the so-called “Tomato Girl Summer” micro trend.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

The idea that the temple, wearing its own black band, grieved for the burned-down mansion, that it yearned for a grand and invisible presence, bestowed a faintly religious ambience.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan