# befriend

/bɪˈfɹɛnd/ (US) · /bɪfɹˈɛnd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/befriend
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

to become friends with someone. You use this when you start a new friendship.

For teachers: to establish a friendly relationship with another person. Transitive — requires a direct object.

## Examples

- I hope to befriend some locals while I am here.
- The two students quickly befriend each other during their first week of the summer program.
- While the initial meeting was purely professional, the two researchers eventually befriend one another over shared interests in classical literature and jazz.

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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.