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
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
The constant stream of news about the chaos of the economy can be both disturbing and alienating, but Rodgers points out that staying connected with others can be crucial during the present political climate.
—Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
It's riddled with cheffy tricks but not in alienating way.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Jimenez describes growing up in Orange County with few Latinos around outside of her family as an alienating experience.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
The clash mirrors a broader fight within the Democratic Party, as progressive candidates push for a more confrontational stance toward Israel’s government and more moderate lawmakers warn against alienating pro-Israel voters and donors.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Elevating him risks alienating precisely those communities whose participation is essential for a successful democratic transition.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
But, in order to actually win the party’s nomination, alienating progressives and Black voters would make that nearly impossible.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Cinematographer Adolpho Velso captures their saber-rattling with soft lighting and asymmetric framing that, fittingly, comes across as both warm and oddly alienating.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
But being too critical of the administration would risk alienating plenty of others.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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
The constant stream of news about the chaos of the economy can be both disturbing and alienating, but Rodgers points out that staying connected with others can be crucial during the present political climate.
—Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
After bombing and alienating the previously friendly countries around it, the Democrat Party is the only ally Iran has left, even though Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world and responsible for the dealth of thousands of Americans.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
It's riddled with cheffy tricks but not in alienating way.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Jimenez describes growing up in Orange County with few Latinos around outside of her family as an alienating experience.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
The clash mirrors a broader fight within the Democratic Party, as progressive candidates push for a more confrontational stance toward Israel’s government and more moderate lawmakers warn against alienating pro-Israel voters and donors.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Elevating him risks alienating precisely those communities whose participation is essential for a successful democratic transition.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
But, in order to actually win the party’s nomination, alienating progressives and Black voters would make that nearly impossible.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Cinematographer Adolpho Velso captures their saber-rattling with soft lighting and asymmetric framing that, fittingly, comes across as both warm and oddly alienating.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
But being too critical of the administration would risk alienating plenty of others.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 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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Iran’s decision to retaliate across the Middle East has amounted to a strategic mistake, isolating Tehran and angering neighbors, according to three high-ranking Arab diplomats with direct knowledge of the state of play and public statements from around the region.—
Andrea Mitchell,
NBC news,
4 Mar. 2026
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Less precise bombs could mean more civilian casualties, complicating the war and angering even Iranians who wanted a regime change.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Scrubs builds the new cast members into each episode bit by bit, ceding a little more narrative ground to them with each episode rather than immediately overwhelming their caseload.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
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The latest cliff-hanger, which saw Netflix ceding the bidding war to Paramount late Thursday, had Hollywood and the media worlds agog.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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For women in perimenopause and menopause, when hormones feel unpredictable and symptoms can be frustrating (er, infuriating) and vague, having a tool that makes at least one piece of the internal puzzle visible can be empowering.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For more than a century, academics identified this statue as conveying a calm, neat, and virtuous masculinity.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Mar. 2026
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Sometimes, a mission name isn't about secrecy, but conveying a message to drive symbolism and morale, the legal blog added.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 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
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Regional Administrative Judge Ray Wheless, who is in charge of assigning visiting judges in Dallas County, said Monday he was asked to stop sending Snipes to Dallas County courts after the allegations were made public and an investigation began.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
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The prosecutor’s whipsawing stances led Silvaggio to delay assigning the case to a trial judge for a week.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Hulu This startling three-part docuseries tells the unfortunate, enraging story of Larry Ray.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alienating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienating. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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