alienate

American  

[ey-lee-uh-neyt, eyl-yuh-] / ˈeɪ li əˌneɪt, ˈeɪl jə- /

verb (used with object)

• alienates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• alienated,
  past participle,  past
• alienating
  present participle

1. to make indifferent or hostile.

   By refusing to get a job, he has alienated his entire family.

2. to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world.

   Bullying alienates already shy students from their classmates.

3. to turn away; transfer or divert.

   to alienate funds from their intended purpose.

4. Law. to transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another.

   to alienate lands.

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alienate British  

/ ˈeɪlɪə-, ˈeɪljəˌneɪt /

verb

1. to cause (a friend, sympathizer, etc) to become indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile; estrange

2. to turn away; divert

   to alienate the affections of a person

3. law to transfer the ownership of (property, title, etc) to another person

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Synonym Usage

See estrange.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• alienator
  noun
• realienate
  verb (used with object)
• nonalienating
  adjective
• unalienating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• alienating
  present
• alienated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• alienate
  simple
• alienates
  simple
• have alienated
  perfect
• has alienated
  perfect
• am alienating
  progressive
• are alienating
  progressive
• is alienating
  progressive
• have been alienating
  perfect progressive
• has been alienating
  perfect progressive

Past

• alienated
  simple
• had alienated
  perfect
• was alienating
  progressive
• were alienating
  progressive
• had been alienating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will alienate
  simple
• will have alienated
  perfect
• will be alienating
  progressive
• will have been alienating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alienate alienates alienated alienating

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

You don’t want to alienate your mom or dad, or make them feel that you don’t support their late-in-life shot at romantic bliss.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

But Kim cannot afford to alienate his biggest source of aid either.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

How could he have been so blind as not to see how dangerous it might be for him to alienate the one impartial party, his one potential ally?

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

This is getting so weird, it alienates most people who hear about it.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2024

He’s not especially skilled, and nature alienates him at first.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2024

What alienates young people is how opera can often be presented.

From New York Times ● Jan. 20, 2024

“I’m trying not to do anything that alienates anyone,” she said.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 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

With a few posts, they alienated the very supporters who championed them as living proof of redemption.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Granted, neither Gallego nor Murphy have alienated their constituencies with these ideas, but it’s a far cry from their personas when they were first elected.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Many changes alienated some core diners and conservatives, prompting her to scrap much of her strategy as sales and profit plummeted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

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

Dad looked at me, waiting for me to give an opinion, but I felt alienated from myself.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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

"He's navigating a very fine line between keeping his constituents happy and not angering or alienating President Trump," he told the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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

Now his social-media feuds are alienating potential allies and frustrating voters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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

Related Words

• disaffect
• divide
• estrange
• separate
• turn off