Showing results for "bereft"

• past participle of bereave.

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

See Examples For:

bereft

But the salaries and benefits offered by BAE draw workers from other professions, leaving the town bereft of mechanics, driving instructors and nurses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

Beijing’s more measured assessment of reaching “a series of new common understandings” was also bereft of examples after a week of face-to-face meetings and months of preparation.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

That was understandable given how bereft the home fans would have been after the Bosnia defeat.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

"England just look like a team bereft of confidence at the minute," he told Rugby Union Weekly.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

The blue girl’s ghost gathered itself and perched, bereft, upon the spearpoint-tip of the projecting finial, just an inch above her own still chest.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor