give

verb

ˈgiv How to pronounce give (audio)
Definition of givenext
1
as in to donate
to make a present of thanked all the tutors who generously gave their time to help students after school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another gave my camera to my father to hold while I went swimming

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to offer
to bring before the public in performance or exhibition the author will give a reading from her latest work at 7:00 p.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure they loaded the shopping cart with so much food it gave under all the weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment I wouldn't give a nickel for such a run-down car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to express
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) she gave her opinion on the matter very firmly and unmistakably

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention totally gave himself to his studies in the hopes of winning a scholarship for next year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption gave him my e-mail address

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in to run by
to put before another for acceptance or consideration she gave the committee her grant proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of give Plenty even gave me their own kitty stories too. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 The scholarships will be given based on the community service, grade point average and financial need of the applicant. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 Some journalists who cover the Capitol have given Thune the nickname Hot Grandpa. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025 But state lawmakers have been looking for ways to give citizens and communities more of a voice in the decisions, and are focusing efforts this spring on Senate Bill 78. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
  1. donate
  2. leave
  3. offer
  4. collapse
  5. pay
  6. express
  7. devote
  8. yield
Verb
  • The building, a century-old former canning and bottling plant, was donated in 2017 to two nonprofits — Affordable Recovery Housing and Residence for Patriots Services — according to a trustee’s deed documenting the transfer.
    — Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • In 2024 Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley engaged 1,116 volunteers who donated 10,990 hours to perform repairs on 256 homes and two nonprofit facilities.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of donate
Verb
  • With few options left, Adam begins considering and concocting ways to enact vengeance, but Basem, having been down that rageful path, advises him otherwise.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The department did not say how much money is left of the total $189 billion approved.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    — John Russell, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The approach provides just a hint of what the home offers.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of offer
Verb
  • Additional footage shows collapsed buildings and wreckage in the streets.
    — Scott Neuman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The defense that started so well last season collapsed when Billings joined Brisker on the sidelines.
    — Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • So McMahon and the Pullman community, who share her love for the church in Historical Pullman National Park, have banded together to pay the roughly $20,000 bill and reopen the church.
    — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Duncan agreed to pay more than $1.5 million to settle the lawsuit the same day prosecutors filed it, according to court records.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • After catching wind of Rock’s new love interest, Saffold took to social media to weigh in on the pairing, beginning her comments with what some took as a hint of shade before appearing to express her approval of Rock dating Newton.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • At the very least, this all sounds like good news for Ferrari Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who, earlier this season, expressed interest in helping the marque build an F40 tribute—with a manual.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of express
Verb
  • Brown devoted Wednesdays to mobility and conditioning after years of just incorporating it into his daily workouts.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
  • California needs to devote more money to rooftop solar, not less.
    — Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of devote
Verb
  • That yielded a partial match, and investigators completed a family tree and identified their suspect, police said.
    — Sara Schilling, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
  • There is a problem in our understanding of universal expansion; different methods for measuring the rate of expansion yield different results.
    — Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of yield

Phrases Containing give

Browse Nearby Words

gits
give
give a hang
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on give

Nglish: Translation of give for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name that thing flower edition
Name That Flower Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
See All