Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disaffect contrast with its synonyms?

The words alienate and estrange are common synonyms of disaffect. While all three words mean "to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty," 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

When is alienate a more appropriate choice than disaffect?

While in some cases nearly identical to disaffect, alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest.

managed to alienate all his coworkers

When can estrange be used instead of disaffect?

The words estrange and disaffect can be used in similar contexts, but estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement.

his estranged wife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disaffect Dina Litovsky for The New York Times Here’s at least one sign that some young adults are disaffected with dating apps. Jennifer Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2019 Yang has honed in on a message of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, touted the need for a nationwide universal basic income and boasted about his ability to reach voters who have become disaffected by national politics. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2019 One danger for the prime minister is that on election day conservative voters disaffected by the looming corruption charges could abandon him for other right-wing parties, or for an opposition bloc. Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2019 And that adds to its appeal for supporters disaffected from the moneyed elites who run the former British colony, organizers say. Christopher Bodeen, chicagotribune.com, 18 June 2019 See All Example Sentences for disaffect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaffect
Verb
  • President Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state have greatly angered Canadians.
    Hersh Shefrin, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The craft retailer, which already closed 800 stores across the U.S. in February, has consumers angered by the terms and conditions of their going-out-of-business sales.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That all changed in 2007 when then-Justice Shirley Abrahamson, the first woman to serve on the state’s high court, made a series of left-leaning rulings that displeased the business community.
    Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025
  • That could displease the White House, as Mr. Trump pivots toward Russia seeking to bring a swift end to the conflict.
    Kim Barker, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Trump's economic war and annexation threats have infuriated Canadians.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The show also features breakout performances from Isa Briones, who plays the infuriating Dr. Trinity Santos, Gerran Howell as the bumbling student doctor Dennis Whitaker, and Taylor Dearden as the sensitive and quirky Dr. Melissa King.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Downsizing investments in sustainability will also alienate employees, consumers, and communities who reward businesses that reduce environmental impact, enhance social equity, and improve long-term resilience.
    Paul Klein, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Fear comes to many with visas who are worried about being kicked out of the country or when Trump is alienating many countries but Vladimir Putin’s.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Loading your audio article A group dissatisfied with the performance of Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton has begun the the effort to recall her from office, after voters in recent years took similar steps against top prosecutors in Alameda County and San Francisco.
    Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The troubling lesson is that secession, even shorn of its ethnic trappings, can still be an alluring strategy for regional parties dissatisfied with the policies of their central governments.
    Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012
Verb
  • As Reacher tries to trace a missing operative and expose an extensive arms smuggling operation, Hall’s Beck, who has long been estranged from his son Richard (Johnny Berchtold), is struggling to stay alive.
    Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Others who had cared for elderly parents after being estranged from them offered their advice.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • His move outraged many in the party who want to fight the Trump agenda, but gives senators room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to advance.
    Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • His move outraged many in the party who want to fight the Trump agenda, but gave senators room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to advance.
    Kevin Freking, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disaffect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaffect. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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