bereft

American  

[bih-reft] / bɪˈrɛft /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of bereave.

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adjective

1. deprived.

   They are bereft of their senses. He is bereft of all happiness.

bereft British  

/ bɪˈrɛft /

adjective

1. (usually foll by of) deprived; parted (from)

   bereft of hope

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Etymology

Origin of bereft

First recorded in 1525–35; be- + reft

Explanation

So, they took the thing you most loved, and you're never going to get it back. You've gone beyond just plain grief-stricken — you're bereft. The way in which bereft differs just from plain mournful or grief-stricken is in its sense of deprivation or lack. It can be used that way too, for example when you're bereft of words. It's the past tense of bereave, following the same pattern as leave and left. When you see your bereft relatives at a funeral, it's very sad, but if your friend says that their cookie is bereft of chocolate chips, you know they are using exaggerated language to be a little funny.

Example Sentences

When 16-year-old Felix Platter set out from his home in Basel, Switzerland, to attend medical school in Montpellier, France, his mother was bereft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Mo Goldman, an Arizona immigration attorney whose clients have often been bereft of their things, told Salon that not returning confiscated belongings has been a pattern in practice for a long time.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

Left bereft by defeat against Sweden in the final in Beijing four years ago, the Scottish quartet have come to dominate their sport since.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Its nascent industries, including chip development, high-end electronics, and green energy solutions are largely bereft of foreign capital and expertise.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

The enamel bowls contained flaky fufu and watery soup bereft of chunks of fish or meat.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie