Thesaurus results for BEREAVED

bereaved 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈrēvd

Definition of bereaved

as in grieving

suffering the death of a loved one the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bereaved

2 of 2

verb

variants or bereft

past tense of bereave

as in deprived

to take something away from news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bereaved

Adjective

Organizers ultimately let the 10-year-old boy, her godson, join her, but the 12-year-old boy, who was the son of a bereaved friend, had to sit elsewhere. — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 Challenges for caregivers and schools A single death can force a bereaved family to navigate multiple intersecting losses. — Keisha M. Wint, The Conversation, 23 June 2026

Verb

The bishop longs for those who are bereaved or suffering to feel a sense of God’s love there. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 How can bereaved families claim? — Marc Shoffman, TheWeek, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bereaved

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereaved

Adjective

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a young deaf-mute woman named Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) is grappling with the loss of her mother by suicide, fighting with her equally bereft father (Koji Yakusho) and trying to deal with the frustrations of adolescence.

— Ray Bennett, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
Every time someone dies, somebody grieves, a mother, a partner is bereft.

— Shelby Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of bereft

Verb

Disqualifying both lists would have deprived the vast majority of Palestinian voters of their preferred political representation.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
But the strain extends across the Global South, where developing nations struggle with a prolonged energy crisis that disproportionately squeezes the planet’s most deprived.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deprived

Adjective

The Syrian woman was a widowed mother of four who had been living in Saudi Arabia for five years, a relative told The Associated Press.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
The Syrian woman was a widowed mother of four who had been living in Saudi Arabia for five years, relative Nisreen Oweida told the Associated Press.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of widowed

Verb

The Montaukett, the original inhabitants of the Hamptons, were stripped of their land and tribal rights a century ago.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent wildfires have stripped vegetation from nearby hillsides, leaving the ground more vulnerable to mudslides.

— Brittney Ermon, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of stripped

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bereave

bereaved

bereavement

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Style

“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bereaved

adjective

verb

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