Befriend
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /bɪˈfɹɛnd/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Befriend is a verb meaning (also figurative) To become a friend of (someone), to make friends with (someone).
Meaning
(also figurative) To become a friend of (someone), to make friends with (someone).
More Meanings
- (figurative) To benefit or favour (someone or something); also, to advocate or promote (someone or something).
- (dated except social work) To act as a friend to (someone, especially a client) by providing companionship and support; to assist, to help.
Example Sentences
Good Seruilius, vvill you befriend mee ſo farre, as to vſe mine ovvne vvords to him?
Child sexual abusers are highly manipulative in their befriending of parents and children and are able to deceive all types of family.
[…] I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature, […] Every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me.
Befriending one of the 112 managing directors was not enough; you had to befriend a managing director with clout. There was one small problem, of course. Bosses were not always eager to befriend trainees.
Word Forms
- befriends
- befriending
- befriended
- befriendest
- befriendedst
- befriendeth
Antonyms for befriend
Common opposites include alienate, befoe, defriend, unfriend.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include tend, friend, companionize, cordialize, fraternize, join.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.