: to arouse especially mutual enmity or indifference in (someone) where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness : alienate
John's excesses gradually estranged him from his mother … Philip Norman
She became estranged from her family.
2
: to remove from customary environment or associations
The first words spoken were not those of one becoming estranged from this world, and already permitted to stray at times into realms foreign to the living. Charlotte Brontë
estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement.
his estranged wife
alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest.
managed to alienate all his coworkers
disaffect refers especially to those from whom loyalty is expected and stresses the effects (such as rebellion or discontent) of alienation without actual separation.
troops disaffected by hunger
Example Sentences
she estranged several of her coworkers when she let her promotion go to her head
Recent Examples on the WebAt the same time, going to so much trouble to not only embarrass this woman, but to put her in debt, estrange her from her closest friend, etc., is such overkill that even Al and Darius don’t seem the slightest bit amused by it. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2022 As China has aligned itself more closely with Russia — regarding it as an ally to blunt U.S. global influence — its position is likely to estrange Europe further. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2022 Ending the filibuster for nominations fueled polarization in the Senate, and nuking it for legislation would probably further estrange political factions. Fred Bauer, National Review, 2 Nov. 2020 Ensuing legal challenges from both sides would further estrange the two halves of the country. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 2 Nov. 2020 At the time, the writer Albert Camus was working on The Rebel, a book that would estrange him instantly and permanently from the Communist left in France. Sean B. Carroll, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2020 Lipolelo had been estranged from Thabane, who had filed for divorce when she was shot dead near her Maseru home on the night of June 14, 2017. Herbert Moyo, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Feb. 2020 Lipolelo had been estranged from Thabane, who had filed for divorce when she was shot dead near her Maseru home on the night of June 14, 2017.Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2020 In other cases where parents are estranged, improvisation has necessitated billable hours with divorce attorneys and unearthed old wounds, making an already stressful time even harder. Matt Villano, CNN, 1 Apr. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French estrangir, estranger, from Medieval Latin extraneare, from Latin extraneus strange — more at strange entry 1