estrange

verb

es·​trange i-ˈstrānj 

estranged; estranging

transitive verb

1

: 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

estrangement

i-ˈstrānj-mənt 

noun

her estrangement from her family

estranger noun

Synonyms

• alien
• alienate
• disaffect
• disgruntle
• sour

Choose the Right Synonym for estrange

estrange, alienate, disaffect mean to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty.

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

Examples of estrange in a Sentence

she estranged several of her coworkers when she let her promotion go to her head

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, Pam’s mom was estranged from Pam’s own family in the present-day timeline, so that detail only added to the possibility. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2025

Today, Alexe is estranged from her mother, but the whole experience led her to career in speech therapy with children. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025

The longtime British collaborators both wrote and star in this endearing tale, based on their 2007 short film, of an eccentric (Key) on a remote island who arranges a reunion of his favorite 2000s duo (Mulligan and Basden), now long estranged. —Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2025

The prize is around the corner, a 700 square foot, one-bedroom apartment left behind by a woman with dementia who died estranged from her heirs. —Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French estrangir, estranger, from Medieval Latin extraneare, from Latin extraneus strange — more at strange entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

estrange

verb

es·​trange is-ˈtrānj 

estranged; estranging

: to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring : alienate

estranged from their children

estrangement

-mənt 

noun