gift 1 of 2

noun

ˈgift How to pronounce gift (audio)
Definition of giftnext
1
as in donation
something given to someone without expectation of a return gave him an unusual birthday gift

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talent
a special and usually inborn ability has a gift for making guests feel right at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gift

2 of 2

verb

as in to bless
to furnish freely or naturally with some power, quality, or attribute gifted with an uncanny ability to persuade people to do things they ordinarily wouldn't

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun gift differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of gift are aptitude, bent, faculty, genius, knack, and talent. While all these words mean "a special ability for doing something," gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

When can aptitude be used instead of gift?

The words aptitude and gift can be used in similar contexts, but aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

How do bent and aptitude relate to one another, in the sense of gift?

Bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

Where would faculty be a reasonable alternative to gift?

In some situations, the words faculty and gift are roughly equivalent. However, faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

When could genius be used to replace gift?

The meanings of genius and gift largely overlap; however, genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

When would knack be a good substitute for gift?

Although the words knack and gift have much in common, knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

In what contexts can talent take the place of gift?

The synonyms talent and gift are sometimes interchangeable, but talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

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 gift
Noun
The project received a major contribution in 2026 when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made a $2 million gift as one of several donations made ahead of their wedding. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Smythson Bride-To-Be Soho Notebook Wedding season may be coming to a close, but this notebook is a perfect gift to help give engaged couples a place to plan out their nuptials for the coming year. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Imagination Playhouse, a live musical staging of children’s books, promotes her literacy initiative and its work gifting hundreds of millions of free books. — Carlye Wisel, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 She was also widely admired for her philanthropy, including her Imagination Library program, which has gifted more than 300 million books to children across the world over 31 years. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gift
  1. donation
  2. talent
  3. bless
  4. present
  5. knack
  6. endow
  7. presentation
  8. aptitude
Noun
  • The project received a major contribution in 2026 when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made a $2 million gift as one of several donations made ahead of their wedding.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The group also claims to have obtained a playable build of the game and asks users for cryptocurrency donations.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of donation
Noun
  • The studio has released seven titles that have won 10 Emmy Awards and two Annie Awards, with voice talent including Glenn Close, Jennifer Hudson, Ethan Hawke, John Legend, Lupita Nyong’o, Daisy Ridley and Oprah Winfrey.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone from Sabrina Carpenter to Taylor Swift to Barack Obama has honored Parton, calling out her talent, her kindness, and her sense of giving.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of talent
Verb
  • Not for nothing has White Barn Inn been blessed with just about every hospitality and dining award possible—from the endless applause of regional magazines and AAA five diamond ratings to a spot on Traveler's Gold List.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Heads of state, parents of book recipients, music fans, movie fans and, like me, women who felt blessed to have had such a glamorous role model publicly mourned the loss.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of bless
Noun
  • For the first time ever, Miami-Dade County Public Schools will let students stay home for Eid, a festive day in which friends and family gather to enjoy meals together and exchange presents after a month of fasting from sun up to sun down.
    — Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Christina Lauren fans have an early Christmas present to anticipate.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of present
Noun
  • As Heather Brown reports, Harper's family says the fifth grader had a knack for making every day count.
    — Heather Brown, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Once again, the artist brought her knack for publicity to bear, as the performances frequently drew a police presence and thus, subsequently, that of the press.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of knack
Verb
  • The show was considered an outlier in its generally sympathetic take on Hill and his conservative views, as well as in terms of the agency with which the show’s creators endowed its working- and middle-class characters.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Waqf— an irrevocable endowment under Islamic law — can endow health, education, and other public goods over generations; they can’t be dismantled unlike government aid budgets.
    — Alaa Murabit, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of endow
Noun
  • Silver Palace's presentation is enhanced by a low, off-center, third-person camera perspective.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Before all that, Rodrigo held a press presentation to share that $10 million would be donated to the orgs, spanning reproductive rights, mental health, domestic violence, and maternal health.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of presentation
Noun
  • This position — especially once assistant head coach Frank Smith arrived — requires immense mental aptitude.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • How could King draw with such aptitude and still struggle to talk?
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of aptitude

Phrases Containing gift

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giddy
gift
gifted
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Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gift. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gift

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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