be·reft

[bih-reft]
verb
1.
a simple past tense and past participle of bereave.
adjective
2.
deprived: They are bereft of their senses. He is bereft of all happiness.

Origin:
1525–35; be- + reft

Dictionary.com Unabridged

be·reave

[bih-reev]
verb (used with object), be·reaved or be·reft, be·reav·ing.
1.
to deprive and make desolate, especially by death (usually followed by of ): Illness bereaved them of their mother.
2.
to deprive ruthlessly or by force (usually followed by of ): The war bereaved them of their home.
3.
Obsolete. to take away by violence.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English bereven, Old English berēafian; cognate with Dutch berooven, German berauben, Gothic biraubōn. See be-, reave1

be·reave·ment, noun
be·reav·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Bereft is an SAT word you need to know.
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a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile.
an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.
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World English Dictionary
bereave (bɪˈriːv) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  (usually foll by of) to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp through death
2.  obsolete to remove by force
 
[Old English bereafian; see reave1]

bereft (bɪˈrɛft) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
(usually foll by of) deprived; parted (from): bereft of hope

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bereave
O.E. bereafian "to deprive of, take away, seize, rob," from be + reafian "rob, plunder," from P.Gmc. *raubojanan, from PIE *reup-, *reub- "to snatch." A common Germanic formation (cf. Du. berooven, Ger. berauben, Goth. biraubon). Since mid-17c., mostly in reference to life, hope, loved ones, and other
immaterial possessions. Past tense forms bereaved and bereft have co-existed since 14c., now slightly differentiated in meaning, the former applied to loss of loved ones, the latter to circumstances.

bereft
past tense of bereave (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Being sheltered in academe for many years can leave you bereft of the skills
  required outside of it.
The next morning, you both awoke bereft and older-the whole country felt this
  way-and in need of revision.
The books also show how bereft of inspiration corporate strategy is these days.
Some scholars believe the law is a statistical artefact, bereft of economic
  meaning.
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