as in displeasing
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1
as in angering
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
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2
as in ceding
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
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Recent Examples of alienating
Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Novels like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch depict the surreal and alienating days of early parenthood with an eye to de-glamorizing the post-partum experience.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
But by the summer of 2022, my toddler son and I were often the only Black folks on the playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a fact that felt both alienating and surreal.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
The bit, pretentious and alienating, went viral for the wrong reasons.
—Will Tavlin, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This and more made growing up in Florida a strange experience both warm and alienating.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
But Beau is a very strange, alienating, ambitious, experimental film, and my hope is that people find it over the years.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Johnson’s familiarity is key to bringing audiences close to Kerr and helps the film overcome its potentially alienating storyline.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Their approach is assertive and inviting rather than aggressive and alienating.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2026
It’s been claimed that in the 1930s Hollywood’s Jewish moguls put profits above alienating Adolf Hitler, Germany’s notoriously antisemitic Fuhrer, with anti-Nazi movies.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Governor Gavin Newsom cannot effectively intervene to pressure candidates to drop out without risking significant political damage, including potential embarrassment if his efforts fail and potentially alienating voters of color whose prominent candidates would likely be targets for exit.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
By combining elements of traditional masculine dressing with the traditionally feminine ballet flat, brands are participating in the trend without alienating shoppers.
—Jack Stanley, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
The enhanced partnership garnered some local criticism recently over JMI partners having exclusivity to use Kentucky logos and uniforms in third-party NIL deals, and questions on whether those constraints might be alienating high-profile basketball recruits who signed elsewhere.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Blume made growing up less alienating for her readers, but there were limits to her project of destigmatization.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Chapek’s woes as Disney chief have been well documented, from his tangles in Florida to an ugly public spat with Scarlett Johansson to alienating top executives by removing creative decision-making authority in a hugely unpopular restructuring.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Condemning Owens risks alienating a segment of that audience; embracing her risks reputational blowback and further blurring the boundaries between commentary and conspiracy.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The move followed public pressure and criticism regarding Mamdani’s past rhetoric concerning Israel, which some Jewish community members find deeply offensive and alienating.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Novels like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch depict the surreal and alienating days of early parenthood with an eye to de-glamorizing the post-partum experience.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
But by the summer of 2022, my toddler son and I were often the only Black folks on the playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a fact that felt both alienating and surreal.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
The bit, pretentious and alienating, went viral for the wrong reasons.
—Will Tavlin, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This and more made growing up in Florida a strange experience both warm and alienating.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
But Beau is a very strange, alienating, ambitious, experimental film, and my hope is that people find it over the years.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Johnson’s familiarity is key to bringing audiences close to Kerr and helps the film overcome its potentially alienating storyline.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Their approach is assertive and inviting rather than aggressive and alienating.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
Revered creators are often consistently curious, open to new technologies, and willing to risk alienating their fans.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2026
It’s been claimed that in the 1930s Hollywood’s Jewish moguls put profits above alienating Adolf Hitler, Germany’s notoriously antisemitic Fuhrer, with anti-Nazi movies.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Governor Gavin Newsom cannot effectively intervene to pressure candidates to drop out without risking significant political damage, including potential embarrassment if his efforts fail and potentially alienating voters of color whose prominent candidates would likely be targets for exit.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
By combining elements of traditional masculine dressing with the traditionally feminine ballet flat, brands are participating in the trend without alienating shoppers.
—Jack Stanley, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
The enhanced partnership garnered some local criticism recently over JMI partners having exclusivity to use Kentucky logos and uniforms in third-party NIL deals, and questions on whether those constraints might be alienating high-profile basketball recruits who signed elsewhere.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Blume made growing up less alienating for her readers, but there were limits to her project of destigmatization.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Chapek’s woes as Disney chief have been well documented, from his tangles in Florida to an ugly public spat with Scarlett Johansson to alienating top executives by removing creative decision-making authority in a hugely unpopular restructuring.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Condemning Owens risks alienating a segment of that audience; embracing her risks reputational blowback and further blurring the boundaries between commentary and conspiracy.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienating
Adjective
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While certain oils work well together (like lemon and tea tree, sweet orange and cinnamon, peppermint and rosemary), aim to mix only two to three oils when blending to avoid a displeasing or overpowering fragrance.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The administration also decided to allow the up to 80,000 metric tons of low-tariff, lower-quality beef from Argentina to be imported to help keep grocery prices down, angering cattle ranchers who argue the decision will hurt domestic production and sales.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But others can ask to maintain more creative control if interested, rather than the traditional practice of ceding it to the industry.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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Boulee gave the two parties a deadline to agree on a mediator and come to the table, but with the deadline approaching, officials say neither side was ceding any ground.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Granular, often infuriating descriptions like that one are ultimately what make Hail Mary sing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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Instead of infuriating customers at drive-thrus, the company is looking to exasperate its existing employees with the tech instead.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since the days of coding computer systems by punch cards in the mid-20th century, conveying computing instructions has been a challenge of elegance and efficiency for computer scientists.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
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Talk to them about what your child is conveying to you without blaming the teacher.—
Amanda Morin,
Parents,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So, how can an organization remain current on customers' ever-changing needs and expectations without annoying or estranging them?—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Memories, associations and context all go into assigning value and meaning to an object.—
Brandon Kaipo Moningka,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The selection committee determines the playoff rankings for the 25 teams, assigning the top 12 teams spots in the playoff bracket.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But every single thing that is enraging us about what’s going on at the federal level is also happening right here in Tarrant County.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Talking about a movie, good or bad, is free marketing, and Fennell seems to understand better than most that enraging potential ticket-holders is a promotional strategy.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alienating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienating. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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