# fair-weather friend

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fair-weather-friend
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One who is friendly, helpful, or available only when it is advantageous or convenient to be so.

## 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.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.