Idiom
fair-weather friend
Meaning
One who is friendly, helpful, or available only when it is advantageous or convenient to be so.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He only calls when he needs money — a real fair-weather friend.”
“A fair-weather friend never stays to help when things get difficult.”
“Do not rely on a fair-weather friend during a personal crisis.”
“When she lost her job, she realized most of her colleagues were just fair-weather friends.”
“You can tell he is a fair-weather friend because he disappeared the moment you asked for help moving your heavy furniture.”
“I thought we were close, but you acted like a fair-weather friend by ignoring my calls during my long illness.”
“The politician, surrounded by fair-weather friends during his rise to power, found himself utterly alone once the scandal broke and his influence evaporated.”
Examples
simple
“He only calls when he needs money — a real fair-weather friend.”
“A fair-weather friend never stays to help when things get difficult.”
“Do not rely on a fair-weather friend during a personal crisis.”
contextual
“When she lost her job, she realized most of her colleagues were just fair-weather friends.”
“You can tell he is a fair-weather friend because he disappeared the moment you asked for help moving your heavy furniture.”
“I thought we were close, but you acted like a fair-weather friend by ignoring my calls during my long illness.”
complex
“The politician, surrounded by fair-weather friends during his rise to power, found himself utterly alone once the scandal broke and his influence evaporated.”
Origin
From the compound of fair-weather and friend, drawing a literal analogy between hospitable meteorology and periods of personal ease. The term suggests a companion whose presence is contingent upon the absence of social or financial storms.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated