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Preposition after adjective

Bereft of, at, by, in or without?

Bereft is normally followed by of to mean lacking or deprived of something. Other prepositions usually belong to separate sentence structures rather than fixed combinations with bereft.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows bereft?

Use bereft of to mean lacking something or deprived of it. Bereft at, bereft by, and bereft in are not standard combinations. Without is a separate expression, not a preposition used after bereft.

After the storm, the village was bereft of electricity.
He felt bereft of hope.
The shelves were bereft of fresh produce.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
bereft of + thing

Showing absence or loss

Use bereft of for something missing or taken away.

The report was bereft of useful data.
She seemed bereft of energy.
2
bereft of + emotion/quality

Describing emotional or abstract lack

Bereft often appears with abstract nouns such as hope, joy, or meaning.

He sounded bereft of confidence.
3
without + noun

Using a separate expression for absence

Without is not used after bereft, but it can express a similar meaning independently.

They continued without assistance.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
bereft of
The community was bereft of resources.
Standard and idiomatic expression meaning lacking something.
bereft at
She was shocked at the news.
At does not normally follow bereft; at may introduce another adjective or reaction.
bereft by
The town was devastated by floods.
By is not a standard complement after bereft.
bereft in
The essay was weak in structure.
In is not normally used after bereft to express lack.
bereft without
They survived without supplies.
Without is a separate preposition, not part of a fixed pattern with bereft.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using bereft by

Bereft is not normally followed by by.

✕ The family was bereft by support. ✓ The family was bereft of support.

Using bereft without

Do not combine bereft and without in the same fixed phrase.

✕ The area was bereft without services. ✓ The area was bereft of services.

Confusing bereft with grief-stricken

Bereft means lacking something, often after loss.

✕ She was bereft at her brother. ✓ She was bereft of family support after her brother died.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The museum was bereft ___ visitors during the winter.
2. He felt bereft ___ confidence after the interview.
3. Which sentence is standard English? ___

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Frequently asked questions

What does bereft of mean?

It means lacking something or having lost it.

Can I say bereft by?

No. Bereft by is not a standard modern English combination.

Is bereft formal?

Yes. Bereft is more formal and literary than simple words like without or lacking.

bad, for, bad, of baffling to, for, in, as or of? bankrupt in, by, for, as or with? "barefoot in" or "barefoot on"? "bare of", "bare with" or "bare in"? "basic of" or "basic to"? beautiful in, with, on, for or to? beholden to, for or on? "beloved by", "beloved to" or "beloved of"? "bemused by" or "bemused at"? "beneficial to" or "beneficial for"? bewildered by, at, as, with or in?

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