Gifted

How to spell gifted

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce gifted

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does gifted mean?

1. adjectiveHaving exceptional natural talent or ability.
2. verbPast tense of 'gift': gave something to someone, especially as a present.

Gifted in a sentence

• adjective

  The gifted pianist learned the entire concerto in a weekend.

• verb

  Her grandmother gifted her the antique watch on her wedding day.

• adjective

  Their gifted daughter was offered a place in the advanced maths programme.

• verb

  The company gifted each employee a bonus at the end of the year.

Where does gifted come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

The base word 'gift' came into English from Old Norse, where 'gift' meant a gift or a payment, and in some uses even a dowry given at marriage. It is closely tied to the verb 'give', and both ultimately go back to a Germanic root meaning 'to hand over' or 'to grant'. Old English already had a related form, but the spelling and sense were reinforced by the Norse word during the centuries of Scandinavian settlement in England. By the late medieval period 'gift' had settled into its modern meaning of something freely given, and the adjective 'gifted', literally 'endowed with gifts', emerged to describe a person blessed with natural talent, as though the ability had been handed to them. The single 'f', single 't', and plain '-ed' ending keep the spelling regular, so the main thing to remember is that no letter is doubled.

How the word is built

• gift (present, talent)
• -ed (adjective/past-tense suffix)