disaffect

verb

dis·af·fect ˌdis-ə-ˈfekt

disaffected; disaffecting; disaffects

Synonyms of disaffect next

transitive verb

: to alienate the affection or loyalty of

also : to fill with discontent and unrest

disaffection

ˌdis-ə-ˈfek-shən

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for disaffect

estrange, alienate, disaffect mean to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty.

estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement.

his estranged wife

alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest.

managed to alienate all his coworkers

disaffect refers especially to those from whom loyalty is expected and stresses the effects (such as rebellion or discontent) of alienation without actual separation.

troops disaffected by hunger

Examples of disaffect in a Sentence

the troops were disaffected by the extension of their tours of duty

Recent Examples on the Web

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The year before, disaffected Republican voters in central Virginia defeated the House majority leader Eric Cantor, an oligarch if ever there was one, in a primary upset. —

Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Oct. 2022 Though many fans have turned their backs on the mope-rocker for his baffling anti-immigrant stance, many more have tucked their heads into the sand to hold onto the moody, disaffected lyrics that so explained our teenaged selves to us. —

Michelle Tea, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Mar. 2023 Palm Trees is the kind of movie in which young women like Lea and her best friend, Katie, are inclined to be cool enough, disaffected enough, for the boys who don’t really care about them — who would flee at the first sight of complication — to want to keep them around. —

K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023 Sanders-Warren backers see Mr. Trump as a symptom of deeper woes, of the desperation of long-struggling voters disaffected by the recent economic prescriptions of both parties. —

Jacob M. Schlesinger, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2020 See all Example Sentences for disaffect