alienate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make indifferent or hostile.
By refusing to get a job, he has alienated his entire family.
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to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world.
Bullying alienates already shy students from their classmates.
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to turn away; transfer or divert.
to alienate funds from their intended purpose.
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Law. to transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another.
to alienate lands.
verb
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to cause (a friend, sympathizer, etc) to become indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile; estrange
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to turn away; divert
to alienate the affections of a person
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law to transfer the ownership of (property, title, etc) to another person
Synonym Usage
See estrange.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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alienatesimple
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alienatessimple
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have alienatedperfect
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has alienatedperfect
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am alienatingprogressive
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are alienatingprogressive
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is alienatingprogressive
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have been alienatingperfect progressive
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has been alienatingperfect progressive
Past
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alienatedsimple
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had alienatedperfect
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was alienatingprogressive
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were alienatingprogressive
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had been alienatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of alienate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin aliēnātus (past participle of aliēnāre “to transfer by sale, estrange”), equivalent to aliēn(us) “belonging to another, another's, foreign, alien ” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you alienate people, you make them stop liking or caring about you. Show up at a conference of cat lovers with a sign around your neck that says, "I hate kittens," and you'll learn firsthand what that means. Back in the days of Latin, before the word alien came to mean little green men from outer space, it described something or someone that was foreign or different or not known: an alien custom, an alien nation. When you alienate people, you make them WISH you were an alien, or at least that they could send you to the moon.
Vocabulary lists containing alienate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On “The View,” he was calm, self-deprecating at times and careful not to alienate outright.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
But the companies are trying to be careful not to alienate generative AI users, who may have different expectations for responses to their prompts than they do for simpler search terms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
In doing so, he struck a delicate balance, as he had to shift production in a way that didn’t alienate Chinese consumers or cede market share to domestic Chinese competitors.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026
US and British advisers criticised the main Fidesz campaign slogan "the safe choice", because it would alienate young voters.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Rather than alienate his base, he simply added to it.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
The more people dislike him, the more loudly announces he’s actually a deeply moral person, which is an obnoxious and off-putting lie that alienates people more.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
I stand up and talk about policy change, even when it alienates my allies.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
Mr Jordan and his team will have to try to find ways to cajole or coerce his opponents into yielding while not doing so in a way that alienates his current crop of supporters.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2023
His career arc is well established: Brown goes to a failing team, turns it around almost immediately, alienates people in the process and then abruptly leaves for the next challenge.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
“These are just rumors and gossip. The proverbs say ‘He who harps on a matter alienates his friend.’
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
She went on to be the UN rights chief, a sensitive role in which she alienated some countries, especially China, which mauled her for reporting on Beijing's alleged abuses of the country's Uyghur minority group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Many shoppers who once turned to the brand for its affordable cotton basics now say they feel further alienated because of the changes.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
It’s a growing demographic hitting both genders, driven in part by climbing divorce rates among older Americans and a rising number of adult children becoming alienated from their parents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
“People are alienated from our current politics not because Americans are cynical, but because people recognize that they deserve better.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
More and more he was becoming alienated from the Worldwide Church of God.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Such controversies highlight the delicate balance facing brands hoping to attract younger audiences without alienating their core, longstanding customer base.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
But the piece also reflected feelings Valdez had about his long-estranged brother Frank, an engineer whose alienating efforts to deny his own background and fit in formed a heavy undercurrent in Valdez’s life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
It’s only ironic that the film’s story doesn’t have the same inventive, thoughtful scope, only to avoid alienating anyone watching the movie on their iPad.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Speaking out carries the risk of alienating followers who vote differently, with Zirah and Baldy saying they do not plan to endorse any candidate.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
If I preached unity, I must act like a unifier, even at the risk of perhaps alienating some of my own colleagues.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
