Lajos decided to ostracize Olivia.
Source: tatoeba (12099496)
Ostracize
/ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/
Synonyms for "ostracize" (152 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (31)
Strong matches (45)
Noun(4 words)
cast outcategorically rejectcold shouldercold-shouldercount outcutcut offdebardeportdisallowdisapprovedisapprove ofdisfavordisfellowshipdisplacedissentdissent fromembargoexcludeexcommunicate
Verb(10 words)
Related words (76)
Verb(13 words)
Noun(12 words)
lack of school belongingostracizingoutcastsoutlawingpeer isolationpilloriesshitlistshunningshunssideliningstigmatizingword ban
Adjective(2 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ban, shun, alienated, alienates, alienating.
- Sentence evidence is available for ostracize, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ostracize".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ostracize"
Keep "ostracize" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ostracize" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ostracize", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ostracize" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
5 entriesacademic ostracisminstitutional ostracismpolitical ostracismpublic ostracismsocial ostracism
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
16 total sentences available.
Republics have been accused of being ungrateful. Aristides was ostracised for being called the Just, and Themistocles banished, after saving his country from desolation.
Source: wiktionary
[T]he person who was ostracised was obliged to leave Athens within ten days after the sentence, and unless a vote of the people recalled him before the expiration of that time, to stay in exile for ten years.
Source: wiktionary
The Athenian Hyperbolus, who had been ostracized some years before by the coalition of Nikias and Alkibiades, together with their respective partisans—ostracized (as Thucydides tells us) not from any fear of his power and over-transcendent influence, but from his bad character and from his being a disgrace to the city—and thus ostracized by an abuse of the institution—was now resident at Samos.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ostracize"?
Closest matches include ban, shun, alienated, alienates, alienating.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ostracize"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.