afford

verb

ə-ˈfȯrd How to pronounce afford (audio)
Definition of affordnext
as in to go
to have enough money for we can't afford a new car this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb afford contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of afford are bestow, confer, donate, give, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," 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 is bestow a more appropriate choice than afford?

The words bestow and afford can be used in similar contexts, but bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When would confer be a good substitute for afford?

In some situations, the words confer and afford are roughly equivalent. However, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

When can donate be used instead of afford?

The words donate and afford are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When is it sensible to use give instead of afford?

The meanings of give and afford largely overlap; however, 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 might present be a better fit than afford?

Although the words present and afford have much in common, 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 afford Another absence would represent a setback Newcastle cannot afford. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2025 Typical two-bedroom rent is $1,074 monthly, and hourly wage needed to afford it is $20.65. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025 But for parents who can’t afford private school tuition, or get a scholarship, that option didn't exist, Buckley said. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 Teams are afforded three two-way contracts per season. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for afford
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afford
  1. go
  2. get
Verb
  • An American Eagle jeans campaign starring actor Sydney Sweeney has gone viral, and not in a good way.
    — Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025
  • Rogers went missing in 2015 and her body has never been found.
    — Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 31 July 2025
Definition of go
Verb
  • Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Diaz wanted to leave to get his last big contract, and Bayern needed a star after a summer of catastrophic transfer failures.
    — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Definition of get

Browse Nearby Words

affluents
afford
affordable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afford. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on afford

Nglish: Translation of afford 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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

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

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
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 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
iykyk if you know you know slang written in a neon
Quiz: Abbreviation Station TFW you have to figure out what 15 abbreviations ...
See All