bereave

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 berove (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /bɪˈɹiːv/

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• Rhymes: -iːv

bereave (third-person singular simple present bereaves, present participle bereaving, simple past and past participle bereaved or bereft)

1. (transitive) To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip; to benim.
   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene 2

     Madam, you have bereft me of all words,

     [...]

   • Tickell

     bereft of him who taught me how to sing

2. (transitive, obsolete) To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
   • William Shakespeare

     All your interest in those territories
     Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

   • Marlowe

     […] shall move you to bereave my life.

3. (transitive) To deprive of power; prevent.
4. (transitive) To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.

   Death bereaved him of his wife.

   The castaways were bereft of hope.

5. (intransitive, rare) To destroy life; cut off.

• bereavement
• bereaver

• reave