bereaved 1 of 2

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
Allison Lyman, the mother of Connor Lopez, 23, connected with other bereaved women to channel their sadness — and their rage over the light sentences in many vehicular homicide cases — into action. Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026 The government has rejected calls to give bereaved families more time to pay. Marc Shoffman, TheWeek, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Edmonson even started a gifting service to support the newly bereaved at those weighty milestones throughout the first year of grief. Delaney Rebernik, Time, 11 Mar. 2026 But there would inevitably be some who insisted that the bereaved also join in the singing. Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereaved
Adjective
  • Contributors have since raised over $120,000 of its $140,000 goal for the bereft family.
    Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
  • My preference is Hunter Goodman for three pitchers for the pitching-bereft Rockies.
    Jim Bowden, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • That side was a bit of an outlier generally, unfancied after a betting scandal had deprived them of their best striker, Paolo Rossi, for two years before the tournament.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Plus, participants from the UK Biobank tend to be healthier and less socioeconomically deprived than the general population, which may limit how well the findings apply to everyone.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • Paromita, a widowed teacher, conceals her loneliness behind the cover of duty and routine, while Shefali, a working wife, hides her bruises beneath concealer and silence.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 June 2026
  • Getting into spoilers, Naim and his widowed mother, Arlene (Mia Wasikowska), only recently moved to the small religious factory town that introduced Naim and Ryan.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Errors of execution and discipline forced by the relentlessness of a French team stripped of many of its leading players meant New Zealand was unable to secure its win until the final minutes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Sustainable investing is already on the back foot, worn down by years of greenwashing scandals, funds quietly stripped of their green labels, and a political backlash that treats ESG as an insult.
    Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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