verb
alienate
AY-lee-uh-nayt/ˈeɪliəneɪt/
Make someone feel disconnected or unfriendly toward others.
His constant criticism begins to alienate even his closest friends.
Etymology
Latin alienare meant both “make another’s” and “estrange.” The shared idea is separation from a former connection, whether ownership or the feelings that bind someone to other people.
In context
That is a surefire way to alienate and piss off your entire or at least 95% of your audience in one go.
More examples
- The policy alienates voters who once supported the party.
- She felt alienated from her family after the dispute.
- Interrupting every speaker risks alienating the whole audience.
Forms
alienate · alienates · alienated · alienating
alienation noun — A feeling of disconnection from others or oneself.