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
Another gentleman comes up from behind Sophie and asks for her hand in a dance, leaving Benedict bereft and definitely wanting more.
—
Julia Moore, People.com, 14 May 2025
One pair belonged to Sara Hernández, a member of the Comité Eureka—the group of bereft relatives whom Sheinbaum had marched with decades ago.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
In 1971, Rubens Paiva, a forty-one-year-old civil engineer and politician, was abducted from his home in Rio de Janeiro and tortured to death, leaving his family bereft.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Her closest friend and mentor, Walter (Bill Murray), has taken his own life, and the suddenness of his death has left her bereft.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Julia Moore, People.com, 14 May 2025
One pair belonged to Sara Hernández, a member of the Comité Eureka—the group of bereft relatives whom Sheinbaum had marched with decades ago.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
In 1971, Rubens Paiva, a forty-one-year-old civil engineer and politician, was abducted from his home in Rio de Janeiro and tortured to death, leaving his family bereft.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Her closest friend and mentor, Walter (Bill Murray), has taken his own life, and the suddenness of his death has left her bereft.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereft
Adjective
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President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said in an earlier statement that three children were rescued from the vehicle during a condolence message to bereaved families.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
11 June 2025
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Allocated between the Everyone’s Veterans’ Dream and the Uniformed Workers Appreciation Campaign causes, the contributions will provide support and treatment to service personnel and bereaved families.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
10 June 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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Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
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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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereft. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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