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

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
School Board leadership said Monday that the policy was formed with the help of bereaved mothers, mental health experts and high school principals. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026 Carie Hallford was the public face of Return to Nature, dealing with bereaved customers at the couple's funeral home in Colorado Springs. ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Minutes after jurors delivered a multimillion-dollar verdict at the landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles last week, bereaved parents and supporters celebrating the victory over Big Tech faced tough questions about what comes next. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2026 Things culminate in a fatal accident in Florida, where the bereaved hold Tesla accountable via a lawsuit. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereaved
Adjective
  • Somehow the small exchange had left me unaccountably frazzled, almost bereft.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Marzetti discontinued the rolls in 2021, leaving behind a bereft public.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Even if they are deprived testosterone by their transition, that’s only part of the story.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That means that the people are deprived not only of their capacity to act, but also of their capacity to think and to judge.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The show, which follows a widowed father of three who learns to find love again while balancing parenting, was quietly canceled by Prime Video earlier this week, according to Deadline.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • But before the developers can build the swank tower, part of the site needed to be stripped of its historic landmark status.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That combination, just like QIH, suppressed neuronal firing and stripped out a comparable share of synapses, but the mice came out of it with impaired fear memory.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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