English Reference

Word

friend

US/ˈfɹɛnd/

UK/fɹˈɛnd/

Definitions

01a person you like

A1 · Beginner Countable noun

n. someone you know well and like, and who you enjoy spending time with.

n. a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

“I am going to the cinema with a close friend from school.”

“They have remained close friends for over twenty years, supporting each other through various career changes and personal challenges.”

Antonyms

02a supporter

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Formal

n. someone who helps or supports a group, a charity, or an idea.

n. a person who provides assistance or financial support to an institution or cause.

“The local library is looking for friends to help raise money for new books.”

“As a long-time friend of the museum, she donated several rare sketches to the permanent collection.”

Antonyms

03ironic address

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Humorous · Informal

n. a word you use to address someone when you are being firm or warning them.

n. used as a form of address, often ironically or condescendingly, when issuing a warning or expressing disagreement.

“Listen, friend, you can't park your car in front of my driveway.”

“I would be very careful with that tone of voice, my friend, if you expect to get any help from this department.”

Synonyms

04a Quaker

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Religion Formal

n. a member of a Christian group called the Society of Friends.

n. a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.

“The local meeting house was built by the Friends in the nineteenth century.”

“The Friends have a long history of pacifism and social activism within the local community.”

Synonyms

05social media

A2 · Elementary Computing Informal

v. to add someone to your list of contacts on a social networking site.

v. to add someone to a list of contacts on a social networking service, thereby granting them access to a profile.

“She friended me on Facebook after we met at the party last night.”

“It is common practice for colleagues to friend each other on social platforms, though some prefer to keep their professional and private lives separate.”

Synonyms

add

Antonyms

unfriend

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “friend” in context.

01. friends family

Etymology

English surname, from the noun friend, or adaptations of it in other languages such as German Freund, Dutch Vriend, Slovene Prijatelj.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

ADJECTIVE

Related words

Idioms

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

QR code

englishreference.com/q/friend

English Reference