Synonyms

befriend

American

[bih-frend] / bɪˈfrɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to make friends or become friendly with; act as a friend to; help; aid.

to befriend the lonely and the disregarded.

Synonyms:

welcome, succor, sustain, encourage, assist, associate, ally

befriend British

/ bɪˈfrɛnd /

verb

(tr) to be a friend to; assist; favour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unbefriended adjective

Etymology

Origin of befriend

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + friend

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He signed the Articles of Confederation in 1777, befriended Hamilton, and served as his top Treasury assistant.

From Barron's

Kedzie had befriended the two youngest sisters, while suggesting that they tour on their own, as a pair.

From Literature

He immersed himself in the natural world and befriended the pioneering German environmentalist, Alexander von Humboldt.

From Los Angeles Times

Cathy befriends young Heathcliff after her rich, alcoholic father brings him to live and work as a servant on their estate perched atop the windy English moors.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023