He tried to wean his son from his bad habit.
Source: tatoeba (300952)
Wean
/wiːn/
Synonyms for "wean" (48 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (14)
Related words (24)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ablactate, abstain, alien, alienate, blunt.
- Sentence evidence is available for wean, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, 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 "wean".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "wean"
Keep "wean" 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 "wean" 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 "wean", 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 "wean" 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
7 entriesbottle weanbreast weancaffeine weancalf weaninglamb weaningnicotine weanpiglet weaning
Collocations
6 entriescalf weaningpiglet weaningweaning ageweaning dietweaning processweaning schedule
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
60 translations across 33 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- اِنْفَطَمَ verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- فَطَمَ verb (to cease giving milk)
Belarusian
4 entries- адлучаць ад грудзей verb (to cease giving milk)
- адлучыць ад грудзей verb (to cease giving milk)
- адняць ад грудзей verb (to cease giving milk)
- аднімаць ад грудзей verb (to cease giving milk)
Bulgarian
1 entries- отбивам verb (to cease giving milk)
Catalan
2 entries- deslletar verb (to cease giving milk)
- desmamar verb (to cease giving milk)
Czech
4 entries- odnaučit se verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- odstavit verb (to cease giving milk)
- odvyknout verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- přestat kojit verb (to cease giving milk)
Danish
1 entries- afvænne verb (to cease giving milk)
Dutch
2 entries- afnemen verb (to cease giving milk)
- spenen verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
Finnish
2 entries- vieroittaa verb (to cease giving milk)
- vieroittua verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
French
1 entries- sevrer verb (to cease giving milk)
German
2 entries- abstillen verb (to cease giving milk)
- entwöhnen verb (to cease giving milk)
Greek
2 entries- απογαλακτίζομαι verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- απογαλακτίζω verb (to cease giving milk)
Hebrew
1 entries- גמל verb (to cease giving milk)
Hungarian
1 entries- elválaszt verb (to cease giving milk)
Ido
1 entries- ablaktar verb (to cease giving milk)
Irish
1 entries- scoith verb (to cease giving milk)
Italian
1 entries- svezzare verb (to cease giving milk)
Japanese
1 entries- 乳離れさせる verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
Ladino
1 entries- destetar verb (to cease giving milk)
Macedonian
1 entries- одвикнува verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
Māori
2 entries- whakamakere ū verb (to cease giving milk)
- whakamutu i te kai waiū verb (to cease giving milk)
Polish
2 entries- odstawiać od piersi verb (to cease giving milk)
- odstawić od piersi verb (to cease giving milk)
Portuguese
1 entries- desmamar verb (to cease giving milk)
Quechua
1 entries- hanuk'ay verb (to cease giving milk)
Romanian
1 entries- înțărca verb (to cease giving milk)
Russian
4 entries- отлуча́ть verb (to cease giving milk)
- отлучи́ть verb (to cease giving milk)
- отнима́ть от груди́ verb (to cease giving milk)
- отня́ть от груди́ verb (to cease giving milk)
Spanish
4 entries- desmamar verb (to cease giving milk)
- desmamarse verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- destetar verb (to cease giving milk)
- destetarse verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
Swedish
1 entries- avvänja verb (to cease giving milk)
Thai
1 entries- หย่านม verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
Turkish
2 entries- sütten kesilmek verb (to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment)
- sütten kesmek verb (to cease giving milk)
Ukrainian
2 entries- відлучати від грудей verb (to cease giving milk)
- відлучити від грудей verb (to cease giving milk)
Vietnamese
2 entries- cai sữa verb (to cease giving milk)
- dứt sữa verb (to cease giving milk)
Welsh
1 entries- diddyfnu verb (to cease giving milk)
Yiddish
1 entries- אַנטװײנען verb (to cease giving milk)
Sample sentences
24 total sentences available.
When do giraffe calves wean?
Source: tatoeba (8556980)
Her mother tried to wean him.
Source: tatoeba (10078455)
Ziri wanted to wean the lambs from the ewe.
Source: tatoeba (11169659)
Showing 4 of 24 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "wean"?
Closest matches include ablactate, abstain, alien, alienate, blunt.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "wean"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.