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 of estrange

• infuriate
• alienate
• anger
• alien
• enrage
• outrage
• sour
• sever

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

Although he had long been estranged from his father, Kyle spoke out after Todd and Julie were indicted on charges of tax evasion in 2019. —Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025

Jay is divorced, estranged from his oldest daughter (Riley Keough), and struggling to connect with his youngest daughter (Grace Edwards), who just took off for a European vacation with friends despite his plea to spend time with him. —Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Dec. 2025

The actor has previously alleged that his father Christopher was physically abusive, revealing in a March interview that he's been estranged from his dad for about 30 years. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025

Brian and Thomas Walshe had been estranged for years, but the only child argued that his dad didn't leave a will and convinced the Plymouth County Probate Court in Massachusetts to name him as personal representative for the estate that December, according to The Boston Globe. —Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 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

Rhymes for estrange

• arrange
• derange
• exchange
• midrange
• change
• grange
• mange
• range
• strange
• interchange
• rearrange

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