Friendly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun /ˈfren(d)-lē/ friend·ly

Meaning & Definition of Friendly

Friendly (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or befitting a friend
  2. showing kindly interest and goodwill
  3. having or showing the feelings that friends have for each other

Friendly (adverb)

  1. in a friendly manner, amicably

Friendly (noun)

  1. one that is friendly; especially, a native who is friendly to settlers or invaders
  2. a match between sports teams and especially international teams that has no connection with league or championship play

Friendly (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest

    "all of the people in my new department seem friendly"

    "as a friendly gesture, we presented our new neighbors with a plate of homemade cookies"

    similar: amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, cordial, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey (chiefly British), neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy (slang), warm, warmhearted
    related: affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, close, familiar, intimate, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted
    opposite: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly
    near: alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsociable, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inhospitable, inimical

  2. closely acquainted

    "we're friendly with our neighbors"

    similar: bosom, buddy-buddy, chummy, close, especial, familiar, inseparable, intimate, inward, near, thick, tight
    related: clannish, close-knit, tight-knit, affable, boon, companionable, convivial, cordial, genial, gracious, hearty, gregarious, sociable, social, comfortable, cozy, easy, snug, amicable, neighborly, confidential, secretive, adoring, affectionate, dear, devoted, fond, loving, tender, tenderhearted, warm
    opposite: distant
    near: aloof, antisocial, cold, cool, detached, distant, frosty, remote, reserved, standoffish, unfriendly, unsociable, withdrawn

  3. expressing approval

    "a friendly sign that our pet project would be approved"

    similar: admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, favorable, good, positive
    related: accepting, warm, encomiastic, eulogistic, flattering, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, respectful, supportive, sympathetic, adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping, advisory, recommendatory
    opposite: adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly
    near: captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting

  4. willing to do a favor

    "a kid-friendly restaurant with high chairs and a special menu for small-fry appetites"

    similar: accommodating, accommodative, indulgent, obliging
    related: helpful, solicitous, considerate, thoughtful, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, gracious, lenient, overindulgent, permissive

  5. promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being

    "the state's attitude towards commercial development is widely regarded as friendly to the business community"

    similar: advantageous, benefic, beneficent, beneficial, benignant, favorable, good, helpful, kindly, profitable, salutary
    related: gratifying, rewarding, satisfying, auspicious, promising, propitious, advisable, desirable, healthful, healthy, salubrious, salutiferous, wholesome, gainful, lucrative, remunerative, ameliorative, amelioratory, bettering, constructive, supportive
    opposite: bad, disadvantageous, unfavorable, unfriendly, unhelpful, unprofitable
    near: damaging, deleterious, harmful, injurious, insalubrious

Friendly (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in amicably, good-naturedly

    similar: amicably, friendlily, good-humoredly, good-naturedly, jocularly, blithely, blithesomely, breezily, gladly, gladsomely, laughingly, lightheartedly, sunnily, hopefully, optimistically, sanguinely, amusedly, exuberantly, giddily, gigglingly, joyfully, joyously, blissfully, elatedly, euphorically, rapturously, brightly, cheerfully, cheerily, gaily, happily, heartily, jocosely, jovially, merrily, mirthfully, smilingly
    opposite: bleakly, cheerlessly, darkly, heavily, miserably, morosely, unhappily, abjectly, dejectedly, despondently, disconsolately, dispiritedly, wretchedly, dolefully, dolorously, forlornly, mournfully, plaintively, sorrowfully, dourly, glumly, mirthlessly, sourly, sternly, sulkily, sullenly, blackly, dismally, drearily, gloomily, pessimistically

Friendly (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in friend, partner

    similar: alter ego, amigo, buddy, chum, compadre, comrade, confidant, confidante, crony, familiar, friend, intimate, mate (chiefly British), musketeer, pal, associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, partner, peer, sport, blood brother, brother, main man, sister, benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher, abettor, accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate, acquaintance, pen pal
    opposite: enemy, foe, adversary, antagonist, competitor, opponent, rival, archenemy, nemesis

Related Entry: User-friendly (adjective)

User-friendly is a different word from Friendly. The synonyms below are for user-friendly, not for friendly.

  1. as in accessible, friendly

    similar: accessible, friendly, idiotproof, comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing, achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated, cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding
    opposite: affectless, arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, stiff, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, tough, uphill, abstract, abstruse, complex, complicated, elusive, hairy, insoluble, intricate, involved, knotty, opaque, problematic, recondite, serious, spiny, stubborn, thorny, ticklish, tricky, bruising, burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, stressful, taxing, tight, trying

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Friendly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Friendly:

Chiefly British: matey, mate
Slang: palsy-walsy
amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, cordial, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, neighborly, palsy, warm, warmhearted, bosom, close, especial, familiar, inseparable, intimate, inward, near, thick, tight, admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, favorable, good, positive, accommodating, accommodative, indulgent, obliging

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Friendly

Words with the opposite meaning of Friendly:

antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly, distant, adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, bad, disadvantageous, unhelpful, unprofitable, bleakly, cheerlessly, darkly, heavily, miserably, morosely, unhappily, abjectly, dejectedly, despondently, disconsolately

Related Words for Friendly

affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender

Near Antonyms of Friendly

alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsociable, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inhospitable, inimical, aloof, antisocial, detached, remote

Word Forms of Friendly

Inflections: friendlier, friendliest, friendlies

Derived words: friendlily (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Friendly

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Friendly

Words & Phrases Containing Friendly

friendly fire, friendly society, friendly with, eco-friendly, user-friendly, on a friendly basis, ozone-friendly

Frequently Asked Questions about Friendly

What does "Friendly" mean?

"Friendly" means of, relating to, or befitting a friend. As an an adjective, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: of, relating to, or befitting a friend. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Friendly"?

Other words for "Friendly" include amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely and cordial. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Friendly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Friendly"?

There are 213 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Friendly". Common alternatives include amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, cordial, genial and hail-fellow.

What is the opposite of "Friendly"?

Antonyms of "Friendly" include antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly, distant, adverse, depreciative, depreciatory and derogatory. Near antonyms include alienated, estranged, chilly and cold.

How do you use "Friendly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Friendly" in a sentence: "all of the people in my new department seem friendly"; "as a friendly gesture, we presented our new neighbors with a plate of homemade cookies"; "we're friendly with our neighbors".

Is "Friendly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Friendly" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Friendly" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Friendly" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Friendly"?

"Friendly" is pronounced /ˈfren(d)-lē/ and divided into syllables as friend·ly.