endow

/ɪnˈdaʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdaʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈdau̇ en-/ (ame, mw)

endow — verb

  • endowpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • endowshe / she / it
  • endowedpast simple
  • endowing-ing form

1. to give a large sum of money to a school, hospital, museum, or other organizatio

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give a large sum of money to a school, hospital, museum, or other organization so that it can pay for its work or for specific programs

例句

Dr. Ando Chen, a former student, endowed the university library with five million dollars.

endow + institution + with + amount

The theater was endowed by a local businesswoman who loved the arts.

passive: be endowed by + donor

同義詞
  • fund

    more general; fund can mean simply paying for something, while endow suggests a lasting financial foundation

  • finance

    focuses on covering costs rather than creating a permanent income source

  • sponsor

    less formal and often tied to events or people, not institutions

文法句型

endow + institution + with + money

be endowed by + donor

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive (be endowed). The institution or fund is the direct object; the donor is introduced by by and the sum by with.

常見錯誤

❌The university endowed a donation.
✅A donation endowed the university.
💡Endow describes the gift given to the institution, not something the institution does with money.

2. to provide a person, creature, or place with a natural quality, ability, or reso

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to provide a person, creature, or place with a natural quality, ability, or resource that is seen as a gift

例句

Clara is endowed with a natural ability to make worried patients feel calm.

be endowed with + ability

The valley is richly endowed with fertile soil and clean water.

be richly endowed with + resource

同義詞
  • bless with

    suggests a divine or lucky origin; slightly warmer in tone

  • gift with

    less common in formal writing, but used in the same passive pattern

  • equip with

    more practical and less poetic; implies preparation rather than natural gift

文法句型

be endowed with + quality/ability

be richly endowed with + resource

用法筆記

Almost always used in the passive voice (be endowed with). Active uses — such as Nature endowed her with... — occur in literary or formal writing but are much less common.

常見錯誤

❌The artist was endowed by great talent.
✅The artist was endowed with great talent.
💡The preposition required after endowed in this sense is with, not by.