1
as in bereaved
suffering the death of a loved one
to one investigator, the bereft woman seemed to be taking the sudden death of her rich husband amazingly well
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
a cheap motel completely bereft of all amenities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bereft
When Iran was bereft before, finding another way forward took 15 years.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Some people are emotionally invested in particular versions of the AI models, leaving them feeling bereft when the AI model developers bring out new models and discontinue access to those versions.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The community/customers are bereft about the closing.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
Over there, in a 67,000-square-foot building that’s hardly bereft, staring at evidence of a national title drought four decades long, Darian DeVries works on reintroducing college basketball to a place that should be on good terms with it.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Some people are emotionally invested in particular versions of the AI models, leaving them feeling bereft when the AI model developers bring out new models and discontinue access to those versions.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The community/customers are bereft about the closing.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
Over there, in a 67,000-square-foot building that’s hardly bereft, staring at evidence of a national title drought four decades long, Darian DeVries works on reintroducing college basketball to a place that should be on good terms with it.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereft
Adjective
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The couple had previously visited the area in October 2024 to meet with bereaved family members and the first responders who dealt with the emergency, which occurred in July 2024.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
23 Sep. 2025
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Susan Ousterman, a bereaved mother and drug policy reform advocate, denounced the strike.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Smart, much like Georgia’s fan base, is pretty unhappy after yet another loss to Alabama.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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While there are reasons to be unhappy with the performance, each win in the NFL is hard to get.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The film centers on a widowed fisherwoman, travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota, who interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereft. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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