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

The trend underscores a Wild West internet landscape that is largely bereft of guardrails as false narratives erode digital trust.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

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

From BBC • Mar. 31, 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

It seems that stuffing AI models with every scrap of knowledge leaves them spiritually bereft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

I was tired suddenly of feeling so bereft, so unmoored by sadness.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez