English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English frēond .

Noun

friend (plural friends)

1. A person other than a family member , spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.
2. A boyfriend or girlfriend.
3. An object or idea that can be used for good.

   Google is your friend.

4. (colloquial, ironic; used only in the vocative) Used as a form of address when warning someone.

   You'd better watch it, friend

Synonyms

• (person whose company one enjoys): bud (US, Canada), buddy (US, Canada), chum (British), mate (British), pal
• (boyfriend, girlfriend): boyfriend, girlfriend, lover
• (object or idea that can be used for good):
• (form of address used in warning someone): buster , mate (British), pal

Antonyms

• (person whose company one enjoys): enemy, foe, nemesis (non-standard)

Derived terms

• friendly
• friendship
• false friend

Translations

person whose company one enjoys

boyfriend or girlfriend

object or idea that can be used for good

form of address used to warn someone

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate table(s) above. Note that the numbering is incorrect.

• Breton: mignon m (1), mignonez f (2)
• Chinese: 朋友
• Finnish: ystävä (1, 2), frendi (1, 2, colloquial), tuttu (1), tuttava (1), kumppani (2), tuttavuus (3), kaveri (4)
• Georgian: მეგობარი (megobari)
• Hebrew: ידיד m
• Indonesian: teman, sahabat, kawan, sobat (rare)
• Japanese: 友達 (ともだち, tomodachi)
• Korean: 친구 [親舊] (chingu)
• Latenkwa: zaytwi
• Persian: دوست (dust)
• Polish: przyjaciel m, przyjaciółka f

  друг m

• Slovak: priateľ m, priateľka f
• Slovene: prijatelj m, prijateljica f
• Swedish: vän (1, 2)
• Turkish: arkadaş m (1), kız arkadaş f (2)