bereave

present singular third person bereaves · participle present bereaving · participle past bereaved · past bereaved · participle past bereft · past bereft

1. transitiveTo 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]

   1 more example

   bereft of him who taught me how to sing

   1719, Thomas Tickell, On the Death of Mr. Addison

2. obsoletetransitiveTo 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)

   1 more example

   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. transitiveTo deprive of power; prevent.
4. transitiveTo take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.

   Death bereaved him of his wife.

   2 more examples

   The family has been recently bereaved.

   The castaways were bereft of hope.

5. intransitiverareTo destroy life; cut off.