Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ALIENATE

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connect today's word to others: Just like alienate doesn't exactly mean "to turn into an alien," vegetate doesn't exactly mean "to turn into a vegetable." What does it mean to vegetate? make your point with... "ALIENATE" Of course, an alien is a foreigner, or a creature from another planet. :) And although the adjective "alien" can just mean "foreign or unfamiliar," it can also mean "hostile or offensive."  To alienate people is to do something that takes away their positive feelings toward you and instead makes them feel offended or hostile towards you. Pronunciation: AY lee yuh nate Part of speech: Verb. It’s the transitive kind: you alienate someone. Other forms: Here are the common ones: alienated, alienating, & alienation. For an adjective, you can use "alienative" or "alienatory," but both are rare--I say, stick with "alienating." How to use it: Talk about individual people alienating their friends and family members, about companies alienating their customers, about performers alienating their fans, about politicians alienating their base, about countries (and countries' leaders) alienating their allies, and so on. Although it's often people who do the alienating, you can also say that a quality, an action, or a statement alienates someone: "The second season's descent into cheesiness alienated me." "Those changes alienated the bill's original supporters." You might talk about alienating someone with something unwelcome: "he alienated his employees with an unfair new policy," "she alienated her readers with long dull passages," "the hotel chain alienated regulars with steep price increases." And, people can be alienated from others: "the harsh routines alienated the team members from their coach," "these stereotypes alienated millennials from the older generations." Finally, although we usually talk about alienating people (or groups of people), we can also talk about alienating someone's mind, someone's feelings, or someone's support. examples: She alienated her colleagues with her increasingly petty complaints. Would you risk alienating a friend with your unpopular opinions, or would you rather keep those to yourself--and keep the friendship shallow? study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "alienate" means when you can explain it without saying "estrange" or "turn someone against you." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Not wanting to alienate (someone, or some group of people), I avoided (doing something unwise or annoying)." Example: "Not wanting to alienate the students, I avoided assigning additional work before delivering feedback on their previous work." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING. From our previous issue:  In "Glory of Love," Peter Cetera sings:   "Just like a knight in shining armor From a long time ago Just in time I will save the day Take you to my castle far away." Do those lyrics call to mind the word QUANDARY, QUIESCENT, or QUIXOTIC? Why? Answer: QUIXOTIC. Something quixotic is dreamily optimistic: it reminds you of Don Quixote, the main character from a novel of the same name; he was that foolishly impractical dreamer who dreamed of going on quests and saving the world. Try this today: In "December, 1963," the Four Seasons sing:   "Oh, what a night Late December, back in '63 What a very special time for me As I remember, what a night." Do those lyrics call to mind the word BRIC-A-BRAC, HARD-BITTEN, or RED-LETTER? Why? review today's word: 1. One opposite of ALIENATING is A. FESTERING. B. ENDEARING. C. DETAILING. 2. He trashed the draft of the speech and started over, realizing that its disparaging tone might alienate _____. A. his supporters B. his opponents C. his reputation Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A