FRIEND Synonyms: 145 Similar and Opposite Words

friend 1 of 2

noun

ˈfrend

Definition of friend

as in buddy

a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another really close friends who like to do everything together and are always sharing secrets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in proponent

a person who actively supports or favors a cause hopes that the new governor will be a friend to environmental causes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

friend

2 of 2

verb

as in to befriend

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of friend

Noun

While the two remained oblivious to each other’s feelings, all their friends suspected the two had a crush on each other. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026 Ask a friend or mentor to read it for flow and engagement before submitting. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

The discourse started to boil when the Duchess of Sussex declared to friend Mindy Kaling that her last name is now Sussex in season 1 of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, which premiered in March 2025. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026 Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for friend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friend

Noun

Then again, being that Vought has been pushing his buddy POTUS to back a federal incentive since May 2025 to little success until today, let’s see what the follow through here really is before anyone starts planning the parade.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
The committee would eventually disband without an answer, despite the fact that Selig had helped engineer the sale of the team in 2005 to Lew Wolff, an old University of Wisconsin frat buddy, and John Fisher.

— Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of buddy

Noun

What may be alarming to proponents of data privacy is exciting for marketers.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Her departure follows a career shift from a respected business journalist to a proponent of conspiracy theories, particularly regarding the 2020 election.

— Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of proponent

Verb

An author befriends a movie star and attempts to write a version of her story.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Set in 1964 and based on a true story, the film tells the tale of a young journalist who tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in New York and befriends the suspect’s charming wife.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of befriend

Noun

Brand fans have spotted the pieces on everyone from colleagues to Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift, and Dorsey is now an eight-figure business, according to the company.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
My Sun colleagues back at the paper’s Fleet Street office had just discovered that Jagger was planning to reunite with Hall, the glamorous cover girl and catwalk star, in Paris.

— Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of colleague

Verb

Medicare generally does not cover the expenses associated with long-term care, which includes medical and nonmedical care for people with chronic illnesses or disability.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
For example, El Niño is associated with mass coral bleaching in the tropics, wildfires in Indonesia and heavy rainfall in parts of South America.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of associate

Noun

Cohen would later act as Sun’s protector and confidant through the years of the Chinese Revolution.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Rebecca seems sinister but is also tantalizing, especially to Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a shy secretary who becomes Rebecca’s… confidant?

— Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of confidant

Noun

So are 44 of 50 state attorneys general, dozens of Indian tribes, consumer advocates, addiction experts, and an increasingly bipartisan contingent on Capitol Hill.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Satish Thiagarjan, founder and CEO of Brysa, advocates using a scoring system rather than relying on instinct.

— Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of advocate

Browse Nearby Words

fried

friend

friended

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Style

“Friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friend. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of friend

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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