Phrasal verb
deprive sb/sth of sth
Definition
phrasal verb. to take something away from someone or prevent them from having something they need.
phrasal verb. to prevent a person or entity from possessing or enjoying something, typically a necessity or a right; functions as a transitive verb with a prepositional complement.
Examples
“You shouldn't deprive yourself of sleep to study.”
“The new law would deprive many citizens of their right to vote in the upcoming election.”
“The harsh winter conditions threatened to deprive the isolated mountain village of its primary food supply for several weeks.”
Examples
simple
“You shouldn't deprive yourself of sleep to study.”
contextual
“The new law would deprive many citizens of their right to vote in the upcoming election.”
complex
“The harsh winter conditions threatened to deprive the isolated mountain village of its primary food supply for several weeks.”
Usage
always requires the preposition 'of' before the thing being taken away.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'rob' (stealing) and 'deny' (refusing to give); 'deprive' often implies a long-term loss of a basic need like sleep, food, or rights.
Pitfall
They deprive him from his rights.
They deprive him of his rights.
the verb 'deprive' must be followed by the preposition 'of', not 'from'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
of
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
deprive + object + of + object