ALIENATE Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'alienate' contrast with its synonyms?

The words disaffect and estrange are common synonyms of alienate . While all three words mean "to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty," alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest. // managed to alienate all his coworkers

Q: When is it sensible to use 'disaffect' instead of 'alienate'?

The meanings of disaffect and alienate largely overlap; however, 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

Q: In what contexts can 'estrange' take the place of 'alienate'?

Although the words estrange and alienate have much in common, estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement. // his estranged wife

alienate

verb

ˈā-lē-ə-ˌnāt

Definition of alienate

as in to infuriate

to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring her changed position on the issue surprised and alienated many of her supporters

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to cede

to give over the legal possession or ownership of landowners have a right to alienate their right of ownership—in other words, they can sell the land if they want to

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expropriate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb alienate contrast with its synonyms?

The words disaffect and estrange are common synonyms of alienate. While all three words mean "to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty," alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest.

managed to alienate all his coworkers

When is it sensible to use disaffect instead of alienate?

The meanings of disaffect and alienate largely overlap; however, 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

In what contexts can estrange take the place of alienate?

Although the words estrange and alienate have much in common, 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 alienate Raman has to win over voters who supported Pratt’s conservative stances while not alienating her progressive base. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Democrats, Campbell said, have to figure out how to appeal to those religious groups without alienating those secular voters. — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Green Lantern stories can have a tendency to lean too far into the sc-fi angle, which can alienate a lot of non-hardcore fans. — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 The same can be said about Tess, who has a fierce, relentless attitude that alienates a few of her friends throughout the movie. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alienate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienate

Verb

The White House’s abrupt decision last week to ease tariffs on 300,000 metric tons — more than 660 million pounds — of foreign beef imports has infuriated American cattle ranchers and congressional Republicans alike.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
The heated rhetoric has infuriated and astonished most Canadians; in a recent poll, seventy-six per cent supported the decision of the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to walk away from trade talks with Washington.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of infuriate

Verb

After ceding its lead, first to Red Bull and then to McLaren, his team is atop the standings again and favored to win the 2026 season.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Once in office, however, Biden ceded his domestic agenda to progressives who believed in Sanders’s vision of transformational change.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of cede

Verb

That angered Michigan Democrats who were frustrated with El-Sayed, and brought Jeffries and other Democrats into the fray, putting the candidate El-Sayed had invested the most in on the defensive.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The president is defending the data center boom as GOP officials across the country turn against projects that have angered voters.

— Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

Experts say a big reason for the move higher was how little information Warsh conveyed about the Fed’s plans during that news conference last month.

— Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
So nice, doing it twice Brady proposed the special livery to better convey how the T-38 is connected to the Artemis program and its missions.

— Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of convey

Verb

Goss voluntarily relinquished his Missouri law license and surrendered his right to practice law in Kansas.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
During her tenure, Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their titles; Voigt had accused Rose of a toxic workplace culture.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of relinquish

Verb

The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

In one simulation, the AI initially assigned a 72% probability that a nearby vessel was simply passing through.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
In northern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Russian forces are reportedly disbanding some tank battalions and reallocating younger servicemembers to drone units, while assigning other personnel to assault units.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of assign

Browse Nearby Words

alien

alienate

alienated

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“Alienate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of alienate

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