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alienate
(redirected from alienating affections)

   Also found in: Legal 0.01 sec.
al·ien·ate  (ly-nt, 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 To cause to become withdrawn or unresponsive; isolate or dissociate emotionally: The numbing labor tended to alienate workers.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 alinre, alint-, from Latin alinus, alien; see alien.]

alien·ator 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
Verb1.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3.alienate - make withdrawn or isolated or emotionally dissociated; "the boring work alienated his employees"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)
Translations
Spanish alienate [ˈeɪlɪəneɪt] vtenajenar, alejar
French alienate [ˈeɪlɪəneɪt] alien vtaliéner; [subj: person] → s'aliéner
German alienate [ˈeɪlɪəneɪt] alien vtentfremden;
(antagonize) → befremden

Italian alienate [ˈeɪlɪəneɪt] vtalienare

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