estranged

1 of 2

adjective

es·​tranged i-ˈstrānjd How to pronounce estranged (audio)
Synonyms of estranged
: having lost former closeness and affection : in a state of alienation from a previous close or familial relationship
her estranged husband [=her husband with whom she no longer lives]
Social workers may try to resolve conflicts between estranged siblings.—Jonathan D. Rockoff
He had taken out a life insurance policy on his estranged wife just weeks before her murder …—David Fisher
… it's kind of shameful to admit your idea of unwinding in front of the TV is watching somebody's entire family get murdered by their greedy, estranged uncle.—Lauren Zupkus

estranged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of estrange

Examples of estranged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Zhang plays optimistic puzzle master Florence, and Sula is Conrad’s estranged daughter and criminal psychologist Astrid. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Her works are playful and often ironic, relentlessly experimental and not only genre-bending but form-bending, including Nox (New Directions, 2010), a box containing an accordioned elegy to her estranged brother after his death. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 The suspect wanted for pushing his estranged girlfriend and her infant daughter off their 15th-floor Bronx balcony, killing the woman, has been arrested — and smiled shamelessly when escorted to court by cops to face justice Thursday. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 That realization came to him in 2014 on the Vancouver set of Turbulence, a feature drama about a father and his estranged daughter from Iraqi Kurdistan struggling to make Canada their new home. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for estranged

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of estranged was in 1538

Phrases Containing estranged

Rhymes for estranged

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Browse Nearby Words

estrange
estranged
estranged couple
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Cite this Entry

“Estranged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estranged. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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