ENGLISH
REFERENCE

friendly

adj.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfɹɛndɫi// UK //fɹˈɛndli// friend·ly General-service

adj. behaving in a kind and pleasant way toward others. You use this to describe someone who is easy to talk to and acts like a friend.

adj. behaving in a kind and pleasant way; showing or expressing goodwill and amity.


SIMPLE

The staff at the hotel are very friendly.

CONTEXTUAL

She gave me a friendly smile and offered to help me find my way to the station.

COMPLEX

Despite the competitive nature of the industry, the two rival CEOs maintained a friendly relationship, often meeting for lunch to discuss shared challenges.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English frendly, freendly, frendely, frendlich, from Old English frēondlīċ, from Proto-Germanic *frijōndlīkaz, equivalent to friend + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian früntelk, fjuntelk (“friendly”), West Frisian freonlik (“friendly”), Dutch vriendelijk (“friendly”), German Low German fründelk, frünnelk (“friendly”), German freundlich (“friendly”). Doublet of friendlike.

Etymology 2

From Middle English frendly, frendliche, from Old English frēondlīċe (“in a friendly manner”), equivalent to friend + -ly.

Usage

Commonly followed by the preposition 'to' or 'with' when describing relationships.

Pitfall

He smiled friendly at meHe smiled in a friendly way at meFriendly is an adjective, not an adverb; it cannot modify a verb directly despite ending in -ly.

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