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estrange

[ih-streynj]
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verb (used with object), es·tranged, es·trang·ing.
  1. to turn away in feeling or affection; make unfriendly or hostile; alienate the affections of: Their quarrel estranged the two friends.
  2. to remove to or keep at a distance: The necessity for traveling on business has estranged him from his family.
  3. to divert from the original use or possessor.
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Origin of estrange

1475–85; < Middle French, Old French estranger; cognate with Portuguese estranhar, Spanish estrañar, Italian straniare < Medieval Latin exstrāneāre to treat as a stranger. See strange
Related formses·trange·ment, nounes·trang·er, nounself-es·trange·ment, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for estrange on Thesaurus.com
Estrange, alienate, disaffect share the sense of causing (someone) to turn away from a previously held state of affection, comradeship, or allegiance. Estrange often implies replacement of love or belonging by apathy or hostility: erstwhile lovers estranged by a misunderstanding. Alienate often calls attention to the cause of antagonism or separation: His inconsiderate behavior alienated both friends and family. Disaffect usually refers to relationships involving allegiance or loyalty rather than love or affection: disaffected workers, demoralized by ill-considered management policies.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for estrange

Historical Examples

  • A man must estrange himself from the world, which is sorrow.

    The Soul of a People

    H. Fielding

  • I do not think that my temper, bad as it may be,—nor your own,—would have sufficed to estrange you.

    Kept in the Dark

    Anthony Trollope

  • What has happened to estrange you two, who have been chums for so many years?

    Marjorie Dean

    Pauline Lester

  • It will raise ill-blood between them, and estrange our families.

    The Red Man's Revenge

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • Charity may corrupt, correction may harden and estrange,—in the family they do neither.

British Dictionary definitions for estrange

estrange

verb (tr)
  1. (usually passive often foll by from) to separate and live apart from (one's spouse)he is estranged from his wife
  2. (usually passive often foll by from) to antagonize or lose the affection of (someone previously friendly); alienate
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Derived Formsestrangement, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Old French estranger, from Late Latin extrāneāre to treat as a stranger, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see strange
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

Word Origin and History for estrange

v.

late 15c., from Middle French estrangier "to alienate," from Vulgar Latin *extraneare "to treat as a stranger," from Latin extraneus "foreign" (see strange). Related: Estranged.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper