# friend with benefits

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/friend-with-benefits
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A friend with whom one has a casual sexual relationship.

## Examples

- They are friends with benefits, not a couple.
- She decided to keep things casual and became friends with benefits with her neighbor.
- While they enjoyed the intimacy of being friends with benefits, they both knew the arrangement could not last forever.

## Origin

Possibly first used by Alanis Morissette for her 1995 song “Head over Feet”, although in the original context it seems to refer to a committed rather than a casual relationship. (disputed)

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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.