Dictionary

bereave en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /bi-/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /bɪˈɹiːv/ (UK)
• /bɪˈɹiv/ (US)

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).

Meanings

1. (transitive) 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 sing 1719, Thomas Tickell, On the Death of Mr. Addison:
2. (obsolete, transitive) To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
   • […] 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):
   • 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]:
3. (transitive) To deprive of power; prevent.
4. (transitive) To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.
   • The family has been recently bereaved.
   • Death bereaved him of his wife.
   • The castaways were bereft of hope.
5. (intransitive, rare) To destroy life; cut off.

Forms

Deriveds

bereavement · bereavable · bereaver

Relateds

reave

Translations (33)

it privare (take away someone or something important or close) · la viduō (take away someone or something important or close) · is ræna (take away someone or something important or close) · cs připravit pf o co (take away someone or something important or close) · pl zabierać (take away someone or something important or close) · pt espoliar (take away someone or something important or close) · ang strūdan (take away someone or something important or close) · es despojar (take away someone or something important or close) · la spoliō (take away someone or something important or close) · ru отнима́ть (take away someone or something important or close) · bg лишавам от (take away someone or something important or close) · ru лиша́ть (take away someone or something important or close) · nl ontnemen (take away someone or something important or close) · es privar (take away someone or something important or close) · uk позбавляти (take away someone or something important or close) · pl odbierać (take away someone or something important or close) · is svipta (take away someone or something important or close) · es desposeer (take away someone or something important or close) · es arrebatar (take away someone or something important or close) · nl beroven (take away someone or something important or close) · hu megfoszt (take away someone or something important or close) · fr arracher (take away someone or something important or close) · sv beröva (take away someone or something important or close) · bg отнемам (take away someone or something important or close) · la prīvō (take away someone or something important or close) · pl pozbawiać (take away someone or something important or close) · da berøve (take away someone or something important or close) · is svipta ástvinum (take away someone or something important or close) · uk відбирати (take away someone or something important or close) · de berauben (take away someone or something important or close) · fi riistää (take away someone or something important or close) · sv frånta (take away someone or something important or close) · th พราก (take away someone or something important or close)