To be bereaved means to have lost someone close to you through death. When a person is bereaved, they are grieving because someone they loved has died. A bereaved family has lost a family member. A bereaved friend has lost a friend.

The word carries a weight of real sorrow. It's different from simply being sad: bereaved describes the specific grief that comes when death takes someone important from your life. You might read about “the bereaved” at a funeral, meaning the people most affected by the loss, like close family and dear friends.

When someone is bereaved, they often need extra patience and kindness from others as they work through their grief. Time helps, but the loss stays with them. People who have been bereaved often say they carry their memories of the person they lost, finding ways to honor them and keep that person's influence alive in their hearts.