estrange

verb es·trange \ i-ˈstrānj \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of estrange

estranged; estranging

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

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estrangement

play \i-ˈstrānj-mənt\ noun

- her estrangement from her family

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estranger

noun

See estrange defined for English-language learners

See estrange defined for kids

Examples of estrange in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of estrange from the Web

Both moms were estranged from their parents, friends and law enforcement sources said.

— shane dixon kavanaugh, OregonLive.com, "Devonte Hart family crash: Deceptions, missed signals preceded deaths," 8 Apr. 2018
When the shaman died in 1994, his daughter took over his role of providing spiritual advice to Park, who was estranged from her siblings.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "Disgraced former South Korean president gets 24 years in prison on corruption charges," 6 Apr. 2018
Take my friend Greta*, 46, who has been estranged from her husband for several years.

— amy sohn, Harper's BAZAAR, "Divorce Envy," 18 July 2014
By this time, Tori was estranged from Candy and had been determined to live on her own dime for years.

— tyler mccarthy, Fox News, "Tori Spelling: From super-rich Hollywood daddy's girl to overwhelmed, struggling reality star," 20 Mar. 2018
Maybe Beth is just fine — scratch that, Beth had BETTER be just fine — in the future, but Deja is still incarcerated for something, and has been estranged from Randall and Tess as a result.

— emma dibdin, Good Housekeeping, "Those "This Is Us" Finale Flash-Forwards Brought Out Some Terrible Fan Theories," 14 Mar. 2018
Westover is estranged from her parents — who turned a blind eye to her brother’s beatings — and some of her siblings.

— tina jordan, New York Times, "Spinning a Brutal Off-the-Grid Childhood into a Gripping Memoir," 2 Mar. 2018
Saying that the relationship between the couple was estranged, McManus said officers had been called to the home several times in the past for domestic issues since the couple separated.

— alexandro luna, San Antonio Express-News, "Manhunt sparked by killing, child abduction ends after suspect found shot," 21 Jan. 2018
Prosecutors have said that most of the group’s targets were estranged from their families and were lured into Weston’s clutches while looking for a place to stay.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "Tacony 'dungeon' case ends with admission of hate crimes against disabled," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'estrange.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of estrange

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

estrange Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.