Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [bih-reev]
- /bɪˈriv/
- /bɪˈriːv/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [bih-reev]
- /bɪˈriv/
Definitions of bereave word
- verb bereave to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp through death 3
- verb bereave to remove by force 3
- verb transitive bereave to deprive or rob; dispossess 3
- verb transitive bereave to leave in a sad or lonely state, as by loss or death 3
- verb transitive bereave to take away by force 3
- verb with object bereave to deprive and make desolate, especially by death (usually followed by of): Illness bereaved them of their mother. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of bereave
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English bereven, Old English berēafian; cognate with Dutch berooven, German berauben, Gothic biraubōn. See be-, reave1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Bereave
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
bereave popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 71% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
bereave usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for bereave
verb bereave
- dispossess — to put (a person) out of possession, especially of real property; oust.
- oust — to expel or remove from a place or position occupied: The bouncer ousted the drunk; to oust the prime minister in the next election.
- sadden — make sad
- rob — to take something from (someone) by unlawful force or threat of violence; steal from.
- leave — to go out of or away from, as a place: to leave the house.
Antonyms for bereave
verb bereave
- clothe — To clothe someone means to provide them with clothes to wear.
- hold — to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his.
- keep — to hold or retain in one's possession; hold as one's own: If you like it, keep it. Keep the change.
- cover — If you cover something, you place something else over it in order to protect it, hide it, or close it.
Top questions with bereave
- what is the meaning of bereave?
- what is bereave?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with b
- Words starting with be
- Words starting with ber
- Words starting with bere
- Words starting with berea
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- Words starting with bereave