estrange

verb es·trange \ i-ˈstrānj \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 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

Not only was the real murderer never properly identified, but the relationship between Slater and Conan Doyle devolved into something ugly: By the time Conan Doyle died, in 1930, Slater and he were estranged.

— sarah weinman, The New Republic, "Arthur Conan Doyle, True Detective," 14 June 2018
And those who are estranged from the culture and looking to reconnect to find grounding in their lives.

— randy dotinga, The Christian Science Monitor, "Tony Hillerman's daughter Anne on keeping her father's mysteries alive," 29 May 2018
Pfeil was estranged from relatives, but found a family in the artistic community and help agencies.

— jim stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Stingl: Unlikely artist and video star is among the Milwaukee homeless remembered at St. Ben's ceremony," 11 May 2018
As the show presents him three-plus decades later, Johnny is portrayed as one of those guys who peaked in high school -- enduring dead-end jobs, estranged from his kid and living in an apartment where empty beer bottles are part of the décor.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Karate Kid' spinoff 'Cobra Kai' delivers a hit for YouTube Red," 2 May 2018
The character, a version of the playwright's adoptive mother from whom he was long estranged, is given a letter rather than a name in a drama that arranges itself along faintly cubist lines.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "My disastrous tea with Glenda Jackson," 26 Apr. 2018
At the time, Noriella was estranged from her father -- a New York City police officer -- who had split up with her mother.

— CBS News, ""I felt like he owned me -- I did what he told me," says battered woman charged in execution-style killing," 3 Mar. 2018
The couple has been estranged since the mid-1990s, according to the newspaper.

— NBC News, "Golden State Killer possibly motivated by breakup with fiancée, investigator says," 30 Apr. 2018
Reed is estranged from his parents, Bill and Jeannette, and his younger sister, Hannah, who reside in Augusta.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Patrick Reed faced rocky road from Baton Rouge to Masters championship," 9 Apr. 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.