Friend Definition, Examples, and Usage Tips

Meaning 1：trusted companion (friend)

friend 🔊

/frɛnd/

A person you like, trust, and spend time with, who supports you and shares your interests.

Two friends chatting happily on a park bench in sunny weather

trusted companion 🔊

➕

/ˈtrʌstɪd kəmˈpænjən/

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

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'freond' (loving one), from Proto-Germanic '*frijōndz' (love), related to 'free'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'fri' as 'free' – a true friend frees you to be yourself.

📖 Example

Every Saturday morning, I meet my best friend for coffee and we talk about our week. 🔊 Every Saturday morning, I meet my best friend for coffee and we talk about our week.

🔗 Collocations

best friend – the closest friend one has

close friend – a friend with whom one shares a strong bond

old friend – a friend known for a long time

🔄 Synonyms

companion (n.) – a person who accompanies or spends time with another

ally (n.) – a person who supports and cooperates with another

buddy (n.) – a close friend, often used informally

🚫 Antonyms

enemy (n.) – a person who is actively opposed or hostile to another

foe (n.) – a person who is opposed to another; an enemy

stranger (n.) – a person whom one does not know

🌱 Derivatives

friendship (n.) – the state of being friends

friendly (adj.) – kind and pleasant toward others

befriend (v.) – to become or act as a friend to someone

📖 Cultural Story

In Old English, 'friend' (freond) meant 'one who loves', opposite of 'fiend' (feond) meaning 'one who hates'. The root connects to concepts of affection and freedom.