Estrange means to cause someone to become distant, unfriendly, or emotionally separated from another person. When people become estranged, they drift apart or actively pull away from each other, often after a disagreement or hurt feelings.

You might see this word when families stop speaking to each other. An estranged father is one who no longer has a relationship with his children. Two friends who were once close might become estranged after a serious argument, avoiding each other in the hallways and no longer sharing their thoughts.

The word suggests a real break in the relationship, a cold distance that settles in and lasts. When siblings become estranged, they might go years without talking. The emotional connection that once existed has been damaged or lost.

Sometimes estrangement happens slowly, as people grow apart and stop making an effort to stay connected. Other times it happens suddenly, after a betrayal or conflict that feels impossible to repair. The word carries a sense of sadness because it describes relationships that once mattered but have now grown cold or disappeared entirely.