He was bereft of all hope.
Source: tatoeba (288875)
Bereft
/bəˈɹɛft/
Synonyms for "bereft" (92 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (19)
Strong matches (27)
devoid ofdisadvantageddivesteddown at the heelempty offatherlessfleecedfor want offorlornforlorn ofghettoizedimpoverishedin default ofin needin ragsin wantin want ofindigentlacking
Verb(1 words)
Related words (46)
mendicantminusmissingmotherlessnecessitousneedingneedyon relieforphanorphanedout at elbowsout ofout of pocketparentlessparted frompauperizedpoverty strickenpoverty-strickenrobbed ofscant of
Show 16 more words
shornshorn ofshortshort ofshyshy ofstarvelingstrippedstripped ofunblessed withunderprivilegedunpossessed ofvoicelessvoid ofwantingwidowed
Verb(1 words)
Noun(1 words)
void a form
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: bankrupt in, bare of, be void, beggared, beggarly.
- Sentence evidence is available for bereft, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bereft".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bereft"
Keep "bereft" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bereft" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bereft", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bereft" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
14 entrieschild lossdeath related lossdesolatedespairingemptyforlorngriefhollowlonelymelancholyopportunity lossresource deprivationrights deprivationspousal loss
Collocations
11 entriesbereave a familybereave lifebereave of resourcesbereave someone ofbereaved familybereaved of hopebereft moodbereft sentimentbereft stateemotionally bereftmorally bereft
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
30 translations across 16 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- лишен adj (deprived of)
Czech
1 entries- zbavený m čeho adj (deprived of)
Finnish
2 entries- ilman adj (deprived of)
- osaton adj (deprived of)
French
1 entries- privé de adj (deprived of)
German
2 entries- beraubt adj (deprived of)
- verlassen adj (deprived of)
Icelandic
2 entries- svipta adj (deprived of)
- taka frá adj (deprived of)
Italian
2 entries- deprivato adj (deprived of)
- orbato adj (deprived of)
Latin
1 entries- orbus adj (deprived of)
Macedonian
1 entries- ли́шен adj (deprived of)
Māori
1 entries- tukaunga adj (deprived of)
Polish
1 entries- pozbawiony adj (deprived of)
Portuguese
2 entries- destituído adj (deprived of)
- privado adj (deprived of)
Russian
3 entries- лишённый adj (deprived of)
- ограбленный adj (deprived of)
- утративший adj (deprived of)
Spanish
4 entries- carente adj (deprived of)
- despojado adj (deprived of)
- desproveído adj (deprived of)
- desprovisto adj (deprived of)
Swedish
1 entries- berövad adj (deprived of)
Turkish
2 entries- mahrum adj (deprived of)
- yoksun adj (deprived of)
Sample sentences
11 total sentences available.
She was bereft of all hope.
Source: tatoeba (309912)
Men who were bereft of reason conducted the war.
Source: tatoeba (325342)
There are four seasons to Heaven: spring, autumn, winter and summer. Winds, rains, hoarfrost and dew - none of them is bereft of educational implications.
Source: tatoeba (3284740)
Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bereft"?
Closest matches include bankrupt in, bare of, be void, beggared, beggarly.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bereft"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.