- Today's Word
Bereft
buh-REFT
Definition
- (adjective) Lacking or deprived of something, especially something emotionally important.
Example
He felt utterly bereft after the passing of his beloved dog.
Fun Fact
“Bereft” is the past participle of “bereave”—yes, the same root as “bereavement.” Often tied to grief or emotional emptiness, it’s a poetic word used in literature, such as in Tennyson’s line: “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” which perfectly captures that bereft feeling.
(adjective) focused on practical results and real-world consequences rather than ideals, theories, or abstract principles.
Instead of arguing over perfect solutions, she took a pragmatic approach and fixed what could be done immediately.
Pragmatic traces back to the Greek word pragmatikos, meaning “relating to deeds or actions,” from pragma (“thing done” or “action”). It entered English in the late 16th century, originally referring to people skilled in managing practical affairs, before evolving into its modern meaning of valuing usefulness and outcomes over theory.