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

In another message, Lord Mandelson told McFadden he thought No 10 was "beleaguered and bereft".

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

“If the European companies, European buyers suddenly decide to reorient themselves and guarantee us consistent and long-term cooperation, bereft of political overtones—please. We never refused, we’re ready to work with Europeans,“ he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Markets elsewhere, bereft of megacap tech buoyancy, failed to keep pace.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Ask any MTV fans still bereft over its exaggerated demise how the latest season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” can still be airing on, yes, MTV.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

Matthias turned his face to the wall, bereft of any tears or lamentation after the stresses of the experience he had recently come through.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques