verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/bɪˈɹiːv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːv
CMU ARPABET:B ER0 IY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To deprive of power; prevent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
Death bereaved him of his wife.
The family has been recently bereaved.
The castaways were bereft of hope.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To destroy life; cut off.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
deprive through death
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: deprive, strip, divest
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English bireven, from Old English berēafian (“to bereave, deprive of, take away, seize, rob, despoil”), from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną, and Old English berēofan (“to bereave, deprive, rob of”); both equivalent to be- + reave. Cognate with Dutch beroven (“to rob, deprive, bereave”), German berauben (“to deprive, rob, bereave”), Danish berøve (“to deprive of”), Norwegian berøve (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
отнемам
(otnemam)
— take away someone or something important or close
Bulgarian:
лишавам от
(lišavam ot)
— take away someone or something important or close
Czech:
připravit pf o co
— take away someone or something important or close
Danish:
berøve
— take away someone or something important or close
Dutch:
beroven
— take away someone or something important or close
Dutch:
ontnemen
— take away someone or something important or close
Finnish:
riistää
— take away someone or something important or close
French:
arracher
— take away someone or something important or close
German:
berauben
— take away someone or something important or close
Hungarian:
megfoszt
— take away someone or something important or close
Icelandic:
svipta
— take away someone or something important or close
Icelandic:
ræna
— take away someone or something important or close
Icelandic:
svipta ástvinum
— take away someone or something important or close
Italian:
privare
— take away someone or something important or close
Latin:
viduō
— take away someone or something important or close
Latin:
prīvō
— take away someone or something important or close
Latin:
spoliō
— take away someone or something important or close
Old English:
strūdan
— take away someone or something important or close
Polish:
zabierać
— take away someone or something important or close
Polish:
pozbawiać
— take away someone or something important or close
Polish:
odbierać
— take away someone or something important or close
Portuguese:
espoliar
— take away someone or something important or close
Russian:
отнима́ть
(otnimátʹ)
— take away someone or something important or close
Russian:
лиша́ть
(lišátʹ)
— take away someone or something important or close
Spanish:
arrebatar
— take away someone or something important or close
Spanish:
despojar
— take away someone or something important or close
Spanish:
desposeer
— take away someone or something important or close
Spanish:
privar
— take away someone or something important or close
Swedish:
beröva
— take away someone or something important or close
Swedish:
frånta
— take away someone or something important or close
Thai:
พราก
(prâak)
— take away someone or something important or close
Ukrainian:
відбирати
(vidbyraty)
— take away someone or something important or close
Ukrainian:
позбавляти
(pozbavljaty)
— take away someone or something important or close
