bereave
verbUK, US /bɪˈɹiːv/
Etymology Inherited from Middle English bireven, from Old English berēafian (“to bereave, deprive of, take away, seize, rob, despoil”), from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną, and Old English berēofan (“to bereave, deprive, rob of”); both equivalent to be- + reave. Cognate with Dutch beroven (“to rob, deprive, bereave”), German berauben (“to deprive, rob, bereave”), Danish berøve (“to deprive of”), Norwegian berøve (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).
To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.
- Madam, you have bereft me of all words,c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- bereft of him who taught me how to sing1719, Thomas Tickell, On the Death of Mr. Addison:
Obsolete To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
- All your interest in those territories / Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
- […] shall move you to bereave my life.c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
To deprive of power; prevent.
To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.
- Death bereaved him of his wife.
- The family has been recently bereaved.
1 more example
- The castaways were bereft of hope.
Rare To destroy life; cut off.
- Derived terms
- bereavable, bereavement, bereaver
- Related terms
- reave