adj

bereaved

bih-REEVD

Bereaved (adj) means Left grieving after the death of someone close to you. Example: “Counselors offer free support to bereaved families.”

adj

Left grieving after the death of someone close to you.

"Counselors offer free support to bereaved families."

"She has been bereaved twice in the past year, losing both her father and her husband."

How to use bereaved

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes someone who has recently lost a loved one to death.

Common mistake

Bereaved specifically refers to loss through death; bereft is broader and can mean deprived of anything.

Easily confused with

bereft →

Common pairings

bereaved family bereaved parents the bereaved

Word forms

more bereaved comparative, most bereaved superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “bereaved” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Counselors offer free support to _____ families.

Rhymes for bereaved

saved waved paved Javed shaved behaved depraved engraved

See all rhymes for bereaved →

Frequently asked questions

What does “bereaved” mean?

The word “bereaved” means left grieving after the death of someone close to you. In plain terms, describes someone who has recently lost a loved one to death.

How do you pronounce “bereaved”?

“Bereaved” is pronounced bih-REEVD (/bɪˈɹiːvd/ in IPA).

How do you use “bereaved” in a sentence?

Here is “bereaved” used in a sentence: “Counselors offer free support to bereaved families.”

What part of speech is “bereaved”?

“Bereaved” is an adjective.