Definition of BEREFT (original) (raw)
1
a
: deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something —usually used with of
both players are instantly bereft of their poise—
A. E. Wier
b
: lacking something needed, wanted, or expected —used with of
the book is … completely bereft of an index—The Times Literary Supplement (London)
2
: suffering the death of a loved one : bereaved
Did you know?
In Old English, the verb berēafian meant "to plunder or rob." The modern equivalent (and descendant) of berēafian is bereave, a verb that implies that you have robbed or stripped someone of something, often suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes by force. Bereft comes from the past participle of bereave; Shakespeare uses the participle in The Merchant of Venice, when Bassanio tells Portia, "Madam, you have bereft me of all words." But by Shakespeare's day bereft was also being used as an adjective. The Bard uses it in The Taming of the Shrew, as a newly obedient and docile Katharina declares, "A woman mov'd is like a fountain troubled—muddy, … thick, bereft of beauty."
Synonyms
Examples of bereft in a Sentence
She finds the child's mother, alone, who has apparently gone into the woods just to cry. The bereft mother is played by Julianne Moore. —Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000 … made the tabloids when his wife ran off to France with her dentist and the bereft realtor placed a newspaper ad for a girl to adopt to keep him company. —Neal Gabler, Life: The Movie, 1998 It's not that the country was completely bereft of humor. —Joseph Contrevas, Newsweek, 6 June 1994
to one investigator, the bereft woman seemed to be taking the sudden death of her rich husband amazingly well a cheap motel completely bereft of all amenities
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Raiders have been bereft for competent quarterback play all season. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024 Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, according to soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials. —Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024 When Brianna and Roger return to the future to seek medical care for their daughter, Mandy, Claire and Jamie are left bereft. —Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024 Roger and Buck go through the stones, leaving a bereft Brianna behind in the present to weep and look after Mandy. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bereft 
Word History
First Known Use
1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of bereft was in 1554
Dictionary Entries Near bereft
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bereft. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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Last Updated: 31 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
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