estrange
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to turn away in feeling or affection; make unfriendly or hostile; alienate the affections of.
Their quarrel estranged the two friends.
-
to remove to or keep at a distance.
The necessity for traveling on business has estranged him from his family.
-
to divert from the original use or possessor.
verb
-
to separate and live apart from (one's spouse)
he is estranged from his wife
-
to antagonize or lose the affection of (someone previously friendly); alienate
Related Words
Estrange, alienate, disaffect share the sense of causing (someone) to turn away from a previously held state of affection, comradeship, or allegiance. Estrange often implies replacement of love or belonging by apathy or hostility: erstwhile lovers estranged by a misunderstanding. Alienate often calls attention to the cause of antagonism or separation: His inconsiderate behavior alienated both friends and family. Disaffect usually refers to relationships involving allegiance or loyalty rather than love or affection: disaffected workers, demoralized by ill-considered management policies.
Other Word Forms
- estrangement noun
- estranger noun
Etymology
Origin of estrange
First recorded in 1475–85; from Middle French, Old French estranger; cognate with Portuguese estranhar, Spanish estrañar, Italian straniare, from Medieval Latin extrāneāre “to treat as a stranger,” derivative of Latin extrāneus “external, foreign, strange”; extraneous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nor did he make any mention of the elephant in the room - or any room the Beckhams set foot in - the recent family drama involving his estranged older brother Brooklyn.
From BBC
And she’s cast by a director, played by Stellan Skarsgård, to appear in his comeback film that he originally wrote for his estranged daughter to star in.
From Los Angeles Times
The couple had been estranged for several months, after “Regina’s supposed affair” strained the relationship, a friend told the detective investigating her death.
From Salon
Your sibling who did not pay child support could have his income garnished or federal/state taxes intercepted to pay his former/estranged spouse; inheritance may also be garnished.
From MarketWatch
To move on to Lucy, we learn what happened in the college timeline that led to her being largely estranged from the friend group.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
