friend

friend

I. friend¹ S1 W1 /frend/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑friend, ↑friendliness, ↑friendship, ↑friendly; adjective: ↑friendly ≠ ↑unfriendly, ↑friendless; verb: ↑befriend]
[Language: Old English; Origin: freond]
1. PERSON YOU LIKE someone who you know and like very much and enjoy spending time with:
Jerry, this is my friend Sue.
She’s always out with her friends.
One of her closest friends died at the weekend.
I met Jim through a friend.
2. be friends (with somebody) to be someone’s friend:
I’ve been friends with the Murkets for twenty years.
3.
a) make friends to become friendly with people:
Jenny has always found it easy to make friends at school.
b) make friends with somebody to become friendly with someone:
He made friends with an old fisherman.
4. be just (good) friends used to say that you are not having a romantic relationship with someone:
I’m not going out with Nathan – we’re just good friends.
5. SUPPORTER someone who supports an organization such as a theatre, ↑art gallery, ↑charity etc by giving money or help
friend of
the Friends of the Tate
6. NOT AN ENEMY someone who has the same beliefs, wants to achieve the same things etc as you, and will support you:
our friends and allies around the world
She shot him a quick glance as if unsure whether he was friend or foe.
Don’t worry, you’re among friends.
7. someone who has created a link with you on a ↑social networking site on the Internet, by visiting your ↑webpage and clicking on it:
She has thousands of friends on MySpace.
8. PARLIAMENT/COURT OF LAW British English
a) my honourable friend used by a member of parliament when speaking about another member of parliament
b) my learned friend used by a lawyer when speaking about another lawyer in a court of law
9. be no friend of something to not like or be a supporter of something:
I’m no friend of socialism, as you know.
10. Friend a member of the Society of Friends SYN Quaker
11. our/your friend spoken used humorously to talk about someone you do not know, who is doing something annoying:
Our friend with the loud voice is back.
12. have friends in high places to know important people who can help you
13. a friend in need someone who helps you when you need it
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + friend
▪ sb’s best friend (=the friend you like the most) Fiona was her best friend.
▪ a good/close friend (=one of the friends you like the most) She’s a good friend of mine.
▪ a dear friend (=a friend who is very important to you) I’d like you to meet a dear friend of mine.
▪ an old friend (=someone who has been your friend for a long time) We went to see some old friends who had moved to Harlow.
▪ a lifelong friend (=someone who has been your friend for the whole of your life) The two men were lifelong friends.
▪ a childhood friend (=someone who was your friend when you were a child) She had been a childhood friend of Tony Walker.
▪ a school friend I met some old school friends for lunch.
▪ a family friend He’s visiting family friends.
▪ a personal friend Mr Hutton is a close personal friend of my father.
▪ a mutual friend (=someone who is a friend of both you and someone else) They went to a mutual friend’s home for dinner.
▪ a firm friend (=a friend you like a lot and intend to keep) They had remained firm friends ever since they first met.
▪ a trusted friend She told only a few trusted friends.
▪ male/female friends Most of my male friends are married now.
■ verbs
▪ have a friend Suzie has plenty of friends.
▪ become friends Liz and Vanessa soon became friends.
▪ remain friends We have all remained friends despite some difficult times.
■ phrases
▪ a friend of mine/yours/Bill’s etc A friend of mine is going to Tokyo next week.
▪ a friend of a friend I managed to get tickets from a friend of a friend.
▪ sb’s circle of friends (=all the friends somebody has) Her small circle of friends used to play cards together.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ friend someone who you know and like very much and enjoy spending time with: Dad, this is my friend Steve. | She’s going to Palm Springs with some friends. | I got a letter from a friend from college. | Amy’s a close friend of mine. | John was a really good friend to me when I had all those problems last year.
▪ acquaintance /əˈkweɪntəns/ someone who you know and see sometimes, but who is not one of your close friends: We borrowed the money from one of Paul’s business acquaintances.
▪ mate British English informal a friend – used especially about boys or men: He always goes to the pub with his mates on Friday night. | Terry’s an old mate of mine.
▪ buddy American English informal a friend – used especially about men or young people: He’s out playing basketball with some of his high school buddies.
▪ pal informal a friend – pal sounds rather old-fashioned: They met at school and have remained close pals.
▪ crony [usually plural] disapproving a friend – used about powerful people who will help each other even if it is slightly dishonest: He’s one of the President’s cronies.
▪ companion written someone who spends time with you, doing the same things as you – used about animals as well as people: travelling companions | His dog was his constant companion. | the perfect companion
▪ the girls informal a woman’s female friends: We’re having a girls’ night out.
▪ the lads British English informal a man’s male friends: a night out with the lads
II. friend² BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to add someone to your list of friends on a ↑social networking site:
I never friend someone I haven’t met in real life.