bereft

[ bih-reft ]

/ bɪˈrɛft /

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See synonyms for bereft on Thesaurus.com

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of bereave.

adjective

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

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bereft

First recorded in 1525–35; be- + reft

Words nearby bereft

bereave, bereaved, bereavement, Berecyntia, red in the face, be, bereft, Berenice, Berenice's Hair, Berenson, Beresford, beret

How to use bereft in a sentence

Where we may once have pined for our cubicles or our commutes, we would now feel bereft without our porch swing and our sectional couch.
Homecomings used to feel special. But that was before we spent all our time at home.|Liz Langley|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
She said she understands the need for more housing and economic growth but worries new construction will be both unaffordable and bereft of green space.
Neighbors mount effort to defend Arlington’s trees from development|Justin Wm. Moyer|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
This is a party that is immune to facts and bereft of decency.
Stop trying to save the GOP. It’s hopeless.|Jennifer Rubin|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
With a high temperature of 40 — four degrees below normal — and tree branches bereft of leaves, Saturday was obviously wintry.
On Saturday, blue sky gave few signs of gathering storm|Martin Weil|January 31, 2021|Washington Post

Anyone seeking mutual understanding—let alone dignity—left bereft.
There is no such thing as ‘apolitical culture’|rhhackettfortune|September 30, 2020|Fortune
Bereft of a competitive 2016 primary, Democrats are backing candidates for Clinton campaign manager.
The Race to Be Hillary’s Karl Rove|David Freedlander|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They happened to men, to women, to young and old, to scientists and sailors, to the bereft and to the content.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was a teenage single mother in a place bereft of options and Isaias spoke to her about a land of promise.
Somaly Mam, This Is What a Real Trafficking Victim Says|Michael Daly|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kirsty, understandably, was not impressed at being dumped on her dream day, and her bereft wail filled the church.
America, Presenting Your New Addiction: ‘The Archers’|Tim Teeman|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Sylvia breaks off their affair and begs Don to truly go home to Megan, he is visibly bereft.
Every Woman Don Draper’s Hooked Up With on ‘Mad Men’|Amy Zimmerman|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She stood there as if Garnache's words had turned her into marble, bereft of speech through very rage.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
But he now spoke to one bereft of sense—of any feeling save that of choking, withering, blighting agony.
Confessions of a Thug|Philip Meadows Taylor
Oh, heart-broken at the sight of one son dead and the other dying, I was bereft of reasoning!
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue
If he fell, the monument would find itself bereft of all its elegance, split as by some long and irreparable crack.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet
When it could be kept from him no longer the truth was broken to him gently, but it almost bereft him of reason.
They Looked and Loved|Mrs. Alex McVeigh Miller

British Dictionary definitions for bereft

bereft

/ (bɪˈrɛft) /

adjective

(usually foll by of) deprived; parted (from)bereft of hope

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bereft

Origin of bereft

Words nearby bereft

Words related to bereft

How to use bereft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bereft