Synonyms

disaffect

American

[dis-uh-fekt] / ˌdɪs əˈfɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to alienate the affection, sympathy, or support of; make discontented or disloyal.

The dictator's policies had soon disaffected the people.

disaffect British

/ ˌdɪsəˈfɛkt /

verb

(tr; often passive) to cause to lose loyalty or affection; alienate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See estrange.

Other Word Forms

disaffectedly adverb
disaffectedness noun

Etymology

Origin of disaffect

First recorded in 1615–25; dis- ¹ + affect ²

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.

Led by a disaffected corporal who never liked Sutton and who dreams of collapsing the crypto-economy to his financial benefit, the group attempt to take her and the First Family hostage.

From Los Angeles Times

But it faces a mammoth task, with polls showing that the Green Party -- newly headed by a charismatic leader 30 years younger than Corbyn -- is mopping up most disaffected lefties.

From Barron's

Levy swept that belief aside, forcing a disaffected Kane to stay.

From BBC

Still, it may as well be implied by the character’s disaffected approach to the tectonic event that undergirds Victor’s dryly funny, intimate debut.

From Salon

But he was unique among the Democrats in speaking directly to the disaffected and dispossessed middle class.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023