gift
/ɡɪft/ (bre, ipa) · [ɡˈɪft] /ɡɪft/ (ame, ipa) · [ɡˈɪft] /ˈgift/ (ame, mw)
gift — noun
- giftsingular
- giftsplural
1. an item voluntarily handed to someone on a birthday, festival, or other meaningf
an item voluntarily handed to someone on a birthday, festival, or other meaningful occasion to show affection or appreciation, without expecting payment back.
Shanti brought a beautifully wrapped gift to her friend's birthday dinner.
The children made handmade gifts for their parents on Mother's Day.
Yuna sent a small gift to her cousin who had just started university.
The company gave every employee a gift basket filled with local treats for the holiday.
Hao opened his gifts slowly, enjoying the surprise of each one.
- present
interchangeable in everyday use, but 'present' strongly implies a wrapped item for a celebration
- offering
more formal or spiritual; suggests a symbolic gesture rather than a personal present
- contribution
focuses on the giver's participation in a shared cause; less personal than 'gift'
2. an item or chance that feels almost free because it costs far below the usual pr
an item or chance that feels almost free because it costs far below the usual price or can be obtained with very little effort.
At that price this vintage lamp is a gift from the second-hand shop.
The history exam turned out to be a gift after all that difficult revision.
Hugo found that antique table at a gift of a price in the flea market.
For a trained runner a five-kilometre jog around the park is a gift.
用法筆記
Common in informal British English, especially in the fixed phrase 'a gift of a price' or 'be a gift'. Not used in formal writing.
3. a natural talent or special ability that someone is born with or develops easily
a natural talent or special ability that someone is born with or develops easily, making a particular skill seem effortless for them.
Élise has a gift for playing any song on the piano after hearing it once.
collocation: have a gift for [something]
His natural gift for connecting with people made him an excellent community organiser.
Tamar's artistic gift showed clearly in the beautiful mural she painted.
Daichi had a gift for languages and became fluent in Arabic within two years.
Noor's gift for storytelling kept the children completely quiet during the lesson.
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'for' + noun phrase or gerund (e.g. 'a gift for music', 'a gift for making people laugh'). Not used with 'of' in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1: here the 'gift' is an internal quality, not a physical object.
常見錯誤
4. a fertility treatment where a woman's egg cell is taken from her body, combined
a fertility treatment where a woman's egg cell is taken from her body, combined with a sperm cell in a laboratory, and then inserted into one of her fallopian tubes so that pregnancy can begin naturally.
The couple decided to try GIFT after months of unsuccessful fertility treatments.
GIFT is one of several assisted reproductive technologies available to patients today.
Rafael explained the differences between GIFT and IVF to the patients during the consultation.
Many clinics offer GIFT as a first-choice option for suitable patients.
Patients who undergo GIFT must have at least one healthy fallopian tube.
用法筆記
Used only as the written abbreviation; always capitalised. The full form 'gamete intrafallopian transfer' is rarely spoken. Distinguish from noun sense 1 — this is a clinical term, not a present.
gift — verb
- giftpresent simple I / you / we / they
- gifts3rd person singular
- gifting-ing form
- giftedpast simple
1. to give something valuable or official such as money, land, or an important item
to give something valuable or official such as money, land, or an important item to another person or organisation, often through a legal or formal process.
The billionaire gifted his entire art collection to the national museum.
The local government gifted a parcel of land to the charity for a community garden.
Abigail gifted a generous donation to the university to fund scholarships.
The old library was gifted to the town by the Watson family in the fifties.
用法筆記
Frequently passive. The recipient is introduced by 'to'. This sense is more formal than the everyday verb 'give' and is common in legal, financial, and charitable contexts. The simple past 'gifted' is standard; 'gift' as a verb is not typically used in progressive tenses ('is gifting' is rare).
常見錯誤
2. to let the other side gain a point or victory in a sport or game because of your
to let the other side gain a point or victory in a sport or game because of your own unforced error.
The goalkeeper gifted a goal to the home team when he dropped the ball.
Hamza gifted his opponent the match with a double fault at the very last point.
pattern: gift [someone] [something]
Cyrus's defensive error gifted the other team an easy three-point lead before halftime.
The chess player gifted his queen to his rival after a moment of distraction.
用法筆記
Common in British sports commentary. The object is either the advantage given ('gifted a goal') or the opponent who receives it ('gifted the opposition a point'). Typically used in the active voice with the person who makes the error as subject.
3. to provide someone with a natural quality, ability, or characteristic that shape
to provide someone with a natural quality, ability, or characteristic that shapes their personality or capabilities, as if it were a present from nature or fate.
Nature has gifted her with a warm and patient personality that puts everyone at ease.
pattern: gifted [someone] with [quality]
The painter was gifted with extraordinary patience and an eye for fine detail.
Hana was gifted with a sharp memory that helped her remember every customer's name.
Not everyone is gifted with perfect pitch, but most people can learn basic singing skills.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice with the preposition 'with'. The subject is typically 'nature', 'fate', 'the universe', or left implied. This sense does not take a direct object without 'with' — compare 'She was gifted with musical talent' (correct) vs 'She gifted musical talent' (wrong — that would be verb sense 1).