alienate
Americanverb (used with object)
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alienates,
present (3rd person singular)
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alienated,
past participle, past
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alienating
present participle
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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to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world.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:
He said the nights were a way to "include them... and not alienate our current members".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Some officials believe AI can draw humanity closer to God, while others warn it could alienate individuals or coincide with biblical end times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
His buffoonish bravado and frequent failures alienate everyone who is not completely in his camp.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
A point they do argue — that picking on billionaires will alienate them, push them out of California and tank the state’s budget — is at least plausible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
We knew that this would alienate both them and the other parties on the island.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Mr. Reid is an engaging leading man, and Rapp either charms or alienates everyone he meets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
What’s constantly baffling is how much affection Holmes has for her repugnant husband, no matter how much he twists stories or alienates the film crew.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
And so EU member states are selecting strategic partners that they believe suit their national needs, even if that alienates or irritates fellow member states.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He’s not especially skilled, and nature alienates him at first.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2024
“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
The British tabloid the Daily Mail reported that Guilfoyle had alienated staff with questionable behavior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
From the moment she walked onto the stage at his public memorial in Arizona to fireworks more suited for a World Series championship, Erika Kirk has alienated people, even drawing accusations of faking her sorrow.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Luxury brands have alienated some shoppers by raising prices too quickly without much innovation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
With a few posts, they alienated the very supporters who championed them as living proof of redemption.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Dad looked at me, waiting for me to give an opinion, but I felt alienated from myself.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Four of the party's five MPs - Ellie Chowns, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer, Sian Berry - had publicly opposed it, with Denyer arguing it could risk "alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Amid lagging sales, retailers marked down the figurines, alienating collectors who want to see items appreciate in value.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Whether you’re a young politician looking to avoid alienating your peers, or a senior representative not looking to upset the apple cart, there’s little incentive to squabble over the way things have always been done.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
But the move risks alienating customers who already may be grumbling about the complex array of ticket options when it comes time to book a flight.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Copernicus’s disciple Rheticus, in the first published account of the Copernican theory, held back any reference to heliocentrism for as long as he possibly could, for fear of alienating his readers.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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