US /ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪt/
verb adj noun Freq #31685

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To make someone stop being friendly or supportive towards you.

    His rude comments alienated many of his closest friends.

  2. 2
    verb

    To make someone feel that they do not belong or cannot relate to others.

    The new policy alienated younger members of the club.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to make someone stop being... estrangeantagonize
2 verb · to make someone feel that... isolatemarginalize
Opposites
Word family
Forms alienatedalienatesalienating
Derived forms abalienaterealienateunalienate

Etymology

From Middle English alienat(e) (“deranged; uncertain; sequestred, secluded”), from Latin aliēnātus, perfect passive participle of aliēnō (“to estrange, alienate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from aliēnus. by surface analysis, alien + -ate. See alien, and compare aliene.

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