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
Outside the office, his outie is a bereft widower who chose to sever his mind just to get some emotional relief.
—
Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Ultimately, the result is a film left bereft, like Israel and Palestine themselves, with no easy conclusions or closure.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Trucks equipped with cannons and 50-caliber machine guns sit as bereft sentinels on street corners.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Shot in under two weeks, with little to no rehearsal time, the film thrives on the strength of its cast—particularly Liang, who gives a tremendous performance as the emotionally bereft Chloe.
—Elissa Suh, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Ultimately, the result is a film left bereft, like Israel and Palestine themselves, with no easy conclusions or closure.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Trucks equipped with cannons and 50-caliber machine guns sit as bereft sentinels on street corners.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Shot in under two weeks, with little to no rehearsal time, the film thrives on the strength of its cast—particularly Liang, who gives a tremendous performance as the emotionally bereft Chloe.
—Elissa Suh, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereft
Adjective
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His agency confirmed his death and said that his bereaved family are currently unable to hold the funeral due to their shock and sadness, YTN reported.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
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The third is the healing room, where visitors learn about the Tribe of Nova Foundation, dedicated to helping survivors and bereaved family members.—
Karen-Janine Cohen,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 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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Rather than panic, consider that software developers are pretty unhappy with the status quo.—
Steve Rodda,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Recent polling also suggests that Americans are relatively unhappy with DOGE’s efforts.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereft. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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