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
Hong-rang, the beloved child of a wealthy Joseon merchant family, vanishes into thin air, leaving half-sister Jae-yi (Cho Bo-ah), mother Min Yeon-ui (Uhm Ji-won), and father Sim Yeol-guk (Park Byung-eun) bereft and the future of the guild unclear.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Kayti Burt, Time, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereft
Adjective
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Most articles and books prioritized reconciliation and bemoaned bereaved parents: Why would someone dare abandon their family?—
Anesce Dremen,
Longreads,
3 July 2025
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Lilian had become used to being the recipient of stories from bereaved parents.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
15 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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That's become a new line of attack for the Trump administration, which is already unhappy with the Fed for not moving more aggressively to lower interest rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
14 July 2025
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Speculation is that Ferrari is unhappy with Vasseur's performance, although these rumors have been shut down by Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereft. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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