Definition of bereavednext
as in grieving
suffering the death of a loved one the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit

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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

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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
  • In this market moment, very few index rally days are emphatic, no selloffs are fully bereft.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Perez death has left her family and those close to her bereft.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026
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
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
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

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Cite this Entry

“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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