bereave
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive and make desolate, especially by death (usually followed byof ).
Illness bereaved them of their mother.
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to deprive ruthlessly or by force (usually followed byof ).
The war bereaved them of their home.
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Obsolete. to take away by violence.
verb
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(usually foll by of) to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp through death
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obsolete to remove by force
Usage
What does bereave mean? To bereave means to take away and leave devastated. Death bereaves us of our loved ones.Bereave can also mean to deprive by force, as in War has bereaved them of their homes. Those who are devastated by the loss of loved ones can be described as bereaved or bereft. These words can also apply to those who have suffered other serious losses.Bereave is most often used in the context of death. The noun form of bereave is bereavement, referring to a period of mourning or or state of intense grief, especially following the death of a loved one. Bereavement can also be used more generally to mean the state of having lost something very dear.Example: Violence has bereaved us of yet another young person.
Other Word Forms
- bereavement noun
- bereaver noun
Etymology
Origin of bereave
First recorded before 900; Middle English bereven, Old English berēafian; cognate with Dutch berooven, German berauben, Gothic biraubōn; equivalent to be- + reave 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The government has appointed a new chief executive and promised bereaved families compensation.
From BBC
The government-backed bank has been accused of a series of errors dating back years, with some bereaved families saying they did not receive money that was rightfully theirs, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph.
From BBC
Lord Nash described the government's consultation as "a shocker" and he became emotional as he paid tribute to bereaved parents who campaigned for a change in the law following the deaths of their children.
From BBC
The pair were the first of the bereaved families to give evidence to the Nottingham Inquiry on Tuesday.
From BBC
Groups representing bereaved families urged the inquiry to ensure that their voices were heard.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
