Loss and grief · Health
bereaved
having recently lost someone through death
Someone who is bereaved has had a close relative or friend die.
This vs that
The charity supports bereaved families.
The families are in mourning.
Hear it in real life
Who is the service for?
It's for bereaved families who need practical support.
The hospital offers counselling for bereaved parents.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
'Bereaved' is the concise formal adjective used by hospitals, charities and counsellors.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: She is bereaved of her husband last year.
Say: She was bereaved when her husband died last year.
Use 'bereaved' as an adjective, not as a past-tense verb.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
the bereaved; a bereaved family; be bereaved
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about loss and grief.
come to terms with ___
It took him months to come to terms with the loss.
send your condolences
Please send my condolences to the family.
Loss and grief words
Health · Loss and grief: the words around “bereaved”.
More connectionsEasy to mix up · More loss and grief words7
More loss and grief words
Your turn: say it out loud
Bereaved families need support.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
bereaved
having recently lost someone through death
“The hospital offers counselling for bereaved parents.”
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