- past participle of bereave.
bereft
Americanverb
adjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of bereft
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.
Vocabulary lists containing bereft
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Esperanza Rising
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Poppy Russell died shortly after birth, her parents were left bereft.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
But warmer oceans are also often bereft of the high-energy prey these juvenile salmon need for rapid growth when they reach the saltwater.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
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
The death of a sibling leaves survivors twice bereft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
There was no position in reference to matter or objects; not the recognition of surfaces; the senses themselves collapsed and abrogated their wonted distinctions; and the body was left aware but bereft.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
