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al·ien·ate ( l y -n t ,  l - -)tr.v. al·ien·at·ed, al·ien·at·ing, al·ien·ates 1. To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. See Synonyms at estrange. 2. To cause to become withdrawn or unresponsive; isolate or dissociate emotionally: The numbing labor tended to alienate workers. 3. To cause to be transferred; turn away: "He succeeded . . . in alienating the affections of my only ward" Oscar Wilde. 4. Law To transfer (property or a right) to the ownership of another, especially by an act of the owner rather than by inheritance.
[Latin ali n re, ali n t-, from Latin ali nus, alien; see alien.]
al ien·a tor n. |
alienate Verb [-ating, -ated] 1. to cause a friend to become unfriendly or hostile 2. Law to transfer the ownership of property to another person alienation n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | alienate - arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness; "She alienated her friends when she became fanatically religious"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" drift apart, drift away - lose personal contact over time; "The two women, who had been roommates in college, drifted apart after they got married" wean - detach the affections of | | 2. | alienate - transfer property or ownership; "The will aliened the property to the heirs"transfer - cause to change ownership; "I transferred my stock holdings to my children" | | 3. | alienate - make withdrawn or isolated or emotionally dissociated; "the boring work alienated his employees"impress, strike, affect, move - have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd" |
alienate verb antagonize, anger, annoy, offend, irritate, hassle ( informal) gall, repel, estrange, lose the affection of, disaffect, hack off ( informal)
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