bereave
verb
be·reave bi-ˈrēv 
bē-
bereaved or bereft bi-ˈreft
bē-
; bereaving transitive verb
1
: to deprive of something —usually used with of
Madam, you have bereft me of all words …
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: to take away (a valued or necessary possession) especially by force
Synonyms
- abate
- deprive
- divest
- strip
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding
Word History
Etymology
Middle English bereven, from Old English berēafian, from be- + rēafian to rob — more at reave
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
bereave
verb
as in to deprive
to take something away from news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- deprive
- strip
- divest
- denude
- abate
- defraud
- impoverish
- shortchange
- bankrupt
- cheat
- clean (out)
- disfurnish