bereft

adjective be·reft \bi-ˈreft\

: sad because a family member or friend has died

Full Definition of BEREFT

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 — Times Literary Supplement>

: suffering the death of a loved one : bereaved <a bereft mother>

See bereft defined for English-language learners

See bereft defined for kids

Examples of BEREFT

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
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Origin of BEREFT

(see bereave)

First Known Use: 1565

Related to BEREFT

Synonyms: bereaved

Antonyms: filled, flush, fraught, full, replete, rife

Rhymes with BEREFT

grand theft, New Left, stage left

BEREFT Defined for Kids

bereft

adjective be·reft \bi-ˈreft\

Definition of BEREFT for Kids

: not having something needed, wanted, or expected <They passed miles of naked grapevines … bereft of their leaves. — Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising>

: bereaved <a bereft mother>