as in grieving
suffering the death of a loved one
the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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variants
or bereft
as in deprived
to take something away from
news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bereaved
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
The stakes just keep getting higher in this Grand Guignol of bloodthirsty excess, as bereaved government agent Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) descends into shocking depravity in his pursuit of serial killer Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik).
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
For example, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors provides peer support, specialized programs, and referrals tailored to bereaved military families and suicide survivors.
—Tom Chiodo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Adjective
Another time, Bruce Springsteen cheers up her bereaved 12-year-old son by taking him for his first motorcycle ride — a fatherly promise that Fred Smith didn’t live long enough to fulfill.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
The stakes just keep getting higher in this Grand Guignol of bloodthirsty excess, as bereaved government agent Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) descends into shocking depravity in his pursuit of serial killer Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik).
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Jeremy Irvine plays the beleaguered, bereaved Henry.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
For example, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors provides peer support, specialized programs, and referrals tailored to bereaved military families and suicide survivors.
—Tom Chiodo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereaved
Verb
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In a 2012 paper, researchers deprived 10 healthy male volunteers of 25% of their usual sleep time for three nights but gave them 3 grams of glycine or a placebo before bed.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
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Officers say 24-year-old Jaylen Holmes not only deprived the dogs of food and water but also left them in a crate filled with urine and feces.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In movies like Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies, and his extraordinary swan song, 2011’s The Turin Horse, the Hungarian filmmaker crafted dreamlike narratives populated with disillusioned, spiritually bereft characters facing harsh realities.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
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Families physically pulled apart by uncaring hands over the outraged screams of the bereft?—
Leonard Pitts Jr,
Miami Herald,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The project arrives at a moment when conversations about Black maternal health often flatten into statistics, stripped of interiority.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
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Minutes later, Jarred Vanderbilt stripped Drake Powell, pushed the ball ahead to Austin Reaves and watched Reaves lob it off the glass to James, igniting the Lakers-heavy crowd.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Several conspiracy theories have emerged in the wake of the assassination, taking an emotional toll on the widowed mother of two.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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With Season 4 comes a potential new flame for the widowed Violet (Ruth Gemmell) in the form of one Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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