friend
- 01 A1 Beginner
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.
Simple“I am going to the cinema with a close friend from school.”
In context“They have remained close friends for over twenty years, supporting each other through various career changes and personal challenges.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The local library is looking for friends to help raise money for new books.”
In context“As a long-time friend of the museum, she donated several rare sketches to the permanent collection.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“Listen, friend, you can't park your car in front of my driveway.”
In context“I would be very careful with that tone of voice, my friend, if you expect to get any help from this department.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a member of a Christian group called the Society of Friends.
n.a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.
Simple“The local meeting house was built by the Friends in the nineteenth century.”
In context“The Friends have a long history of pacifism and social activism within the local community.”
Synonyms - 05 A2 Elementary
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.
Simple“She friended me on Facebook after we met at the party last night.”
In context“It is common practice for colleagues to friend each other on social platforms, though some prefer to keep their professional and private lives separate.”
SynonymsAntonymsunfriend
Usage friends family
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.