ENGLISH
REFERENCE

friend

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfɹɛnd// UK //fɹˈɛnd// friend Archaic General-service Humorous Informal

n. someone you know well and like, but who is not a member of your family. You enjoy spending time with this person because you share interests or trust them.

n. a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations. Often used informally to address a stranger or a casual acquaintance in a lighthearted way.


SIMPLE

I am going to the cinema with a close friend tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

She has been my best friend since we started primary school together twenty years ago.

COMPLEX

Maintaining a lifelong friend requires a significant investment of time and emotional energy, especially as professional and family obligations begin to compete for one's limited attention.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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

Usage

Commonly takes the preposition 'of' ('a friend of mine') or 'with' ('friends with someone').

Pitfall

I am friend of himI am a friend of hisWhen using the 'friend of' construction, the following pronoun must be in the possessive form (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).

Idioms7 entries

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