estranged
Americanadjective
-
displaying or evincing a feeling of alienation; alienated.
The setting denotes the estranged environment in which the protagonists saw themselves when fighting for recognition.
-
no longer in a friendly or affectionate relationship with a family member or friend, and typically living apart.
His estranged wife is living only 10 miles away.
adjective
-
separated and living apart from one's spouse
-
no longer friendly; alienated
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of estranged
Explanation
The adjective estranged suggests a loss of affection, a turning away from someone. When a couple separates, we often refer to them as estranged — or no longer together. The word estranged is an unfriendly word with a negative connotation. The word strange within it seems to suggest an alienation of affection, and that a loving relationship has not only soured, but turned distant and even somewhat hostile. While the word is usually used to describe a human relationship, it can also refer to a political situation where nations that were once allies develop conflicts and become estranged.
Vocabulary lists containing estranged
Dissed List: Breakup Words for Valentine's Day
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Into the Wild
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The Crossover
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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.
Steel workers who backed Nippon Steel’s purchase of the company still feel estranged from the union’s leadership more than a year after the sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
‘I have zero regrets’: I’m 84 and estranged from my two adult sons.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
In 1995, Keith starred in Next Of Kin as Maggie Prentice, a grandmother who made no secret of disliking her orphaned grandchildren when taking them in after the death of her estranged son.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
People she met included a widow estranged from her adult children over financial woes, who stored piles of their belongings at their mother's home.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
If McCandless felt estranged from his parents and siblings, he found a surrogate family in Westerberg and his employees, most of whom lived in Westerberg's Carthage home.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
