bereave
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive and make desolate, especially by death (usually followed byof ).
Illness bereaved them of their mother.
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to deprive ruthlessly or by force (usually followed byof ).
The war bereaved them of their home.
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Obsolete. to take away by violence.
verb
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(usually foll by of) to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp through death
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obsolete to remove by force
Usage
What does bereave mean? To bereave means to take away and leave devastated. Death bereaves us of our loved ones.Bereave can also mean to deprive by force, as in War has bereaved them of their homes. Those who are devastated by the loss of loved ones can be described as bereaved or bereft. These words can also apply to those who have suffered other serious losses.Bereave is most often used in the context of death. The noun form of bereave is bereavement, referring to a period of mourning or or state of intense grief, especially following the death of a loved one. Bereavement can also be used more generally to mean the state of having lost something very dear.Example: Violence has bereaved us of yet another young person.
Other Word Forms
- bereavement noun
- bereaver noun
Etymology
Origin of bereave
First recorded before 900; Middle English bereven, Old English berēafian; cognate with Dutch berooven, German berauben, Gothic biraubōn; equivalent to be- + reave 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Half of our crew were locals, so we offered them to take time off to bereave should they choose to.
From Salon • May 12, 2023
Yet, when discretion doth bereave The plaints that they should utter,Then thy discretion may perceive That silence is a suitor.
From The Guardian • Feb. 10, 2012
Life after college can feel like a desperate and depressing limbo where recent grads bereave the loss of carefree times when they aren’t scouring Craigslist for employment.
From Washington Post
"Luther never intended to bereave the church of her mystery," says one Sammlung theologian.
From Time Magazine Archive
Witness, too, the moon that permeates—every being's inmost thought; Let her too of life bereave me—if in this 'gainst thee I've sinned.
From Nala and Damayanti and Other Poems by Milman, Henry Hart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
