Friendship is one of life’s greatest treasures, and language reflects this beautiful bond through countless colorful expressions. From the moment we meet someone who just “gets us” to those friends who stick with us through thick and thin, idioms capture the essence of these connections in memorable ways.

Whether you’re learning English, brushing up on your vocabulary, or simply curious about how we talk about friendship, these 55 idioms will enrich your understanding of the language we use to celebrate the people who matter most. Let’s dive into these expressions that paint vivid pictures of companionship, loyalty, and the many shades of friendship!

1. A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

Meaning: A true friend is someone who helps you when you’re facing difficulties or challenges.

In a Sentence: When I lost my job, Sarah was there every day helping me update my resume—a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Other Ways to Say: True friends show up when it counts; real friends are there in tough times; friends prove themselves in hardship.

2. Thick as Thieves

Meaning: Two people who are extremely close and share a strong bond, often with a sense of secrecy or insider knowledge.

In a Sentence: Ever since college, Marcus and I have been thick as thieves—we practically know what the other is thinking.

Other Ways to Say: Joined at the hip; inseparable; two peas in a pod.

3. Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Meaning: People with similar interests, values, or characteristics tend to become friends and spend time together.

In a Sentence: It’s no surprise those three are always together—they all love hiking and photography; birds of a feather flock together.

Other Ways to Say: Like attracts like; kindred spirits; cut from the same cloth.

4. Through Thick and Thin

Meaning: Remaining loyal and supportive during both good times and bad times.

In a Sentence: My best friend has been with me through thick and thin, from my wedding day to my darkest moments.

Other Ways to Say: In good times and bad; come what may; for better or worse.

5. Fair-Weather Friend

Meaning: Someone who is only your friend when things are going well but disappears during difficult times.

In a Sentence: I realized Jake was just a fair-weather friend when he stopped returning my calls after I got sick.

Other Ways to Say: False friend; friend of convenience; summer friend.

6. Hit It Off

Meaning: To immediately connect with someone and get along well from the first meeting.

In a Sentence: When I met my roommate on the first day, we hit it off right away and talked for hours.

Other Ways to Say: Click instantly; connect immediately; take to someone.

7. Two Peas in a Pod

Meaning: Two people who are very similar or who get along perfectly together.

In a Sentence: My sister and her best friend are like two peas in a pod—they even finish each other’s sentences.

Other Ways to Say: Cut from the same cloth; kindred spirits; birds of a feather.

8. Stand By Someone

Meaning: To support and remain loyal to someone, especially during challenging times.

In a Sentence: I’ll stand by you no matter what decision you make about your career.

Other Ways to Say: Stick by someone; have someone’s back; be in someone’s corner.

9. Old Friends

Meaning: People who have known each other for a very long time, often since childhood or youth.

In a Sentence: Even though we live in different cities now, we’re old friends and pick up right where we left off.

Other Ways to Say: Long-time friends; friends from way back; childhood friends.

10. Get Along Like a House on Fire

Meaning: To have an excellent relationship with someone and become friends very quickly.

In a Sentence: My dad and my boyfriend get along like a house on fire—they’re already planning a fishing trip together.

Other Ways to Say: Hit it off immediately; click right away; become fast friends.

11. Make Friends Easily

Meaning: To have the natural ability to connect with people and form friendships without difficulty.

In a Sentence: She makes friends easily wherever she goes because of her warm and open personality.

Other Ways to Say: Have a way with people; be a people person; be naturally sociable.

12. Friend of a Friend

Meaning: Someone you know indirectly through a mutual acquaintance rather than directly.

In a Sentence: I got the job through a friend of a friend who worked at the company.

Other Ways to Say: Mutual connection; indirect acquaintance; second-degree connection.

13. Keep Someone at Arm’s Length

Meaning: To maintain an emotional distance from someone and avoid becoming too close or friendly.

In a Sentence: After being betrayed before, I tend to keep new people at arm’s length until I really know them.

Other Ways to Say: Keep one’s distance; maintain boundaries; hold back.

14. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Meaning: Family relationships are stronger and more important than friendships (though often debated in modern usage).

In a Sentence: Even though they argued, blood is thicker than water, and the siblings reconciled quickly.

Other Ways to Say: Family comes first; family ties run deep; kinship matters most.

15. Joined at the Hip

Meaning: Two people who are inseparable and spend almost all their time together.

In a Sentence: Those two have been joined at the hip since elementary school—you rarely see one without the other.

Other Ways to Say: Inseparable; attached at the hip; always together.

16. Have Someone’s Back

Meaning: To support and protect someone, especially in difficult or dangerous situations.

In a Sentence: Don’t worry about the presentation—I’ve got your back if anyone asks tough questions.

Other Ways to Say: Stand by someone; support someone; look out for someone.

17. Shoulder to Cry On

Meaning: A person who provides emotional support and comfort during sad or difficult times.

In a Sentence: After her breakup, I tried to be a shoulder to cry on and listen to her feelings.

Other Ways to Say: Source of comfort; sympathetic ear; emotional support.

18. Bury the Hatchet

Meaning: To make peace with someone and end a disagreement or conflict.

In a Sentence: After years of not speaking, the old friends decided to bury the hatchet and start fresh.

Other Ways to Say: Make peace; let bygones be bygones; mend fences.

19. Be There for Someone

Meaning: To provide support, help, or companionship when someone needs it.

In a Sentence: I want you to know I’ll always be there for you, no matter what happens.

Other Ways to Say: Support someone; stand by someone; show up for someone.

20. Kindred Spirits

Meaning: People who share similar interests, values, or ways of thinking and feel a natural connection.

In a Sentence: When we discovered we both loved obscure 1970s sci-fi novels, I knew we were kindred spirits.

Other Ways to Say: Like-minded people; soul mates; birds of a feather.

21. Circle of Friends

Meaning: A group of close friends who regularly spend time together.

In a Sentence: My circle of friends from college still gets together every summer for a reunion.

Other Ways to Say: Friend group; social circle; inner circle.

22. Get on Well With

Meaning: To have a good, friendly relationship with someone.

In a Sentence: I get on well with all my coworkers, which makes going to work much more enjoyable.

Other Ways to Say: Get along with; have good rapport with; click with.

23. False Friend

Meaning: Someone who pretends to be your friend but is actually disloyal or untrustworthy.

In a Sentence: I discovered she was a false friend when she spread rumors about me behind my back.

Other Ways to Say: Fair-weather friend; fake friend; wolf in sheep’s clothing.

24. See Eye to Eye

Meaning: To agree with someone or share the same opinion on something.

In a Sentence: My best friend and I don’t always see eye to eye on politics, but we respect each other’s views.

Other Ways to Say: Be on the same page; agree with; be of one mind.

25. Best Friends Forever (BFF)

Meaning: A close friend with whom you intend to maintain a lifelong friendship.

In a Sentence: We’ve been calling ourselves best friends forever since we were ten years old.

Other Ways to Say: Lifelong friends; friends for life; eternal friends.

26. Partner in Crime

Meaning: A close friend who accompanies you in activities, especially fun or mischievous ones.

In a Sentence: My sister is my partner in crime whenever we go shopping—she always encourages my impulse buys.

Other Ways to Say: Accomplice; sidekick; comrade in arms.

27. In Someone’s Corner

Meaning: Supporting someone and being ready to help them, especially during challenges.

In a Sentence: No matter what career path you choose, I’ll be in your corner cheering you on.

Other Ways to Say: Have someone’s back; support someone; stand behind someone.

28. Cross Paths

Meaning: To meet someone, often by chance or briefly.

In a Sentence: We crossed paths at a conference and realized we had gone to the same university.

Other Ways to Say: Run into; bump into; encounter.

29. Drift Apart

Meaning: To gradually become less close with someone over time, usually due to different life circumstances.

In a Sentence: After college, we drifted apart as we moved to different cities and started new lives.

Other Ways to Say: Grow apart; lose touch; become distant.

30. Keep in Touch

Meaning: To maintain regular communication with someone, especially when living far apart.

In a Sentence: Even though you’re moving across the country, let’s make an effort to keep in touch.

Other Ways to Say: Stay in contact; remain connected; maintain communication.

31. Fall Out With Someone

Meaning: To have a serious disagreement or argument that damages or ends a friendship.

In a Sentence: They fell out with each other over a business deal and haven’t spoken in years.

Other Ways to Say: Have a falling out; break up with; quarrel with.

32. Pick Up Where You Left Off

Meaning: To resume a friendship or conversation as if no time has passed.

In a Sentence: Even after five years apart, we picked up where we left off and talked like we’d never been separated.

Other Ways to Say: Continue seamlessly; resume naturally; reconnect easily.

33. Close-Knit

Meaning: Describing a group of people who are very close and supportive of each other.

In a Sentence: We come from a close-knit community where everyone knows and helps each other.

Other Ways to Say: Tightly bonded; closely connected; intimately linked.

34. Bosom Friends

Meaning: Very close and intimate friends who share deep emotional bonds.

In a Sentence: They’ve been bosom friends since childhood, sharing all their secrets and dreams.

Other Ways to Say: Intimate friends; close companions; dear friends.

35. Stick Together

Meaning: To remain united and support each other, especially during difficult times.

In a Sentence: Our family has always stuck together through every challenge life has thrown at us.

Other Ways to Say: Stay united; remain loyal; stand together.

36. Like Family

Meaning: Friends who are so close that they feel like family members.

In a Sentence: My college roommates are like family to me—I’d do anything for them.

Other Ways to Say: As close as family; family by choice; chosen family.

37. Social Butterfly

Meaning: Someone who is very sociable and enjoys spending time with many different people and groups.

In a Sentence: Rachel is such a social butterfly—she knows someone everywhere we go.

Other Ways to Say: People person; extrovert; socialite.

38. Break the Ice

Meaning: To do or say something to make people feel more comfortable in a social situation.

In a Sentence: He told a funny story to break the ice at the beginning of the party.

Other Ways to Say: Ease tension; start conversation; warm up the room.

39. On the Same Wavelength

Meaning: To understand each other well and think in similar ways.

In a Sentence: We’re always on the same wavelength—I can say one word and she knows exactly what I mean.

Other Ways to Say: In sync; on the same page; thinking alike.

40. Give Someone the Cold Shoulder

Meaning: To deliberately ignore someone or treat them unfriendly, often after a disagreement.

In a Sentence: After our argument, he gave me the cold shoulder for weeks.

Other Ways to Say: Ignore someone; snub someone; shun someone.

41. Water Under the Bridge

Meaning: Past problems or arguments that have been forgiven or forgotten.

In a Sentence: We had our differences in high school, but that’s all water under the bridge now.

Other Ways to Say: In the past; bygones; ancient history.

42. Extend the Hand of Friendship

Meaning: To make an effort to be friendly with someone or to make peace.

In a Sentence: Despite their past disagreements, she extended the hand of friendship and invited him to coffee.

Other Ways to Say: Offer friendship; make peace; reach out.

43. Run in the Same Circles

Meaning: To be part of the same social group or community.

In a Sentence: We’ve been running in the same circles for years but only recently became close friends.

Other Ways to Say: Share social circles; move in the same groups; belong to the same community.

44. Rub Shoulders With

Meaning: To spend time with or associate with certain people, often those who are important or influential.

In a Sentence: At the conference, I got to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in tech.

Other Ways to Say: Mingle with; associate with; socialize with.

45. Open Up to Someone

Meaning: To share personal thoughts, feelings, or secrets with someone you trust.

In a Sentence: It took months before she felt comfortable enough to open up to me about her past.

Other Ways to Say: Confide in; share with; be vulnerable with.

46. Lend an Ear

Meaning: To listen to someone’s problems or concerns with attention and sympathy.

In a Sentence: Whenever I need to vent, my friend is always willing to lend an ear.

Other Ways to Say: Listen sympathetically; be a good listener; hear someone out.

47. Count On Someone

Meaning: To trust someone to help or support you when needed.

In a Sentence: I know I can always count on you to tell me the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.

Other Ways to Say: Rely on; depend on; trust in.

48. Bring Out the Best in Someone

Meaning: To encourage someone to show their most positive qualities or achieve their potential.

In a Sentence: Good friends bring out the best in each other and inspire growth.

Other Ways to Say: Inspire someone; elevate someone; encourage someone’s potential.

49. Take Someone Under Your Wing

Meaning: To provide guidance, protection, or mentorship to someone less experienced.

In a Sentence: When I started at the company, my manager took me under her wing and taught me everything.

Other Ways to Say: Mentor someone; guide someone; look after someone.

50. Win Someone Over

Meaning: To gain someone’s friendship, trust, or approval through your actions or personality.

In a Sentence: I was skeptical at first, but her genuine kindness won me over completely.

Other Ways to Say: Gain someone’s trust; charm someone; earn someone’s friendship.

51. Grow on Someone

Meaning: To gradually become more liked or appreciated by someone over time.

In a Sentence: He seemed annoying at first, but his sense of humor really grew on me.

Other Ways to Say: Become more likeable; warm up to; appreciate more over time.

52. Reconnect With

Meaning: To reestablish contact or friendship with someone after a period of separation.

In a Sentence: I recently reconnected with an old college friend through social media.

Other Ways to Say: Get back in touch with; renew friendship with; reach out to again.

53. Bond Over

Meaning: To form a connection with someone through a shared experience, interest, or situation.

In a Sentence: We bonded over our mutual love of vintage cars and became fast friends.

Other Ways to Say: Connect through; unite over; find common ground in.

54. Look Out for Each Other

Meaning: To watch over and protect one another’s wellbeing and interests.

In a Sentence: In our friend group, we always look out for each other, especially when someone’s going through a tough time.

Other Ways to Say: Watch each other’s backs; protect one another; care for each other.

55. Stand the Test of Time

Meaning: To remain strong and enduring despite the passage of years or challenges faced.

In a Sentence: True friendships stand the test of time, lasting through decades and life changes.

Other Ways to Say: Endure; last forever; withstand the years.

Friendship idioms remind us that the bonds we share with others are woven deeply into the fabric of our language. These expressions capture everything from the joy of meeting a kindred spirit to the pain of drifting apart, and they help us articulate the importance of the people who enrich our lives.

Whether you’re looking to expand your vocabulary or simply appreciate the colorful ways we talk about friendship, these 55 idioms offer a wonderful glimpse into how language celebrates human connection. So go ahead and use these expressions to describe your own friendships—after all, friends who appreciate good idioms together, stay together!

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Friendship Idioms

Question 1: What does the idiom “a friend in need is a friend indeed” mean?

A) A friend who needs help frequently
B) A true friend who helps during difficult times
C) A friend who is always in need
D) A friend who only appears when needed

Answer: B) A true friend who helps during difficult times

Question 2: If two people are “thick as thieves,” they are:

A) Both criminals
B) Extremely close friends
C) Very secretive people
D) Often dishonest

Answer: B) Extremely close friends

Question 3: What type of friend is a “fair-weather friend”?

A) Someone who only likes good weather
B) Someone who is reliable in all situations
C) Someone who only stays during good times
D) Someone who helps during storms

Answer: C) Someone who only stays during good times

Question 4: When you “hit it off” with someone, you:

A) Have an argument
B) Connect well immediately
C) Meet by accident
D) Part ways quickly

Answer: B) Connect well immediately

Question 5: Which idiom means two people who are very similar?

A) Birds of a feather
B) Two peas in a pod
C) Cut from the same cloth
D) All of the above

Answer: D) All of the above

Question 6: To “have someone’s back” means to:

A) Stand behind them physically
B) Support and protect them
C) Follow them everywhere
D) Criticize them privately

Answer: B) Support and protect them

Question 7: A “shoulder to cry on” refers to:

A) Physical support
B) Emotional comfort and support
C) A place to rest
D) Someone who cries often

Answer: B) Emotional comfort and support

Question 8: What does “bury the hatchet” mean?

A) Hide a weapon
B) Start a fight
C) Make peace and end a conflict
D) Forget something important

Answer: C) Make peace and end a conflict

Question 9: “Kindred spirits” are people who:

A) Are related by blood
B) Share similar interests and values
C) Believe in ghosts
D) Come from the same family

Answer: B) Share similar interests and values

Question 10: If you “see eye to eye” with someone, you:

A) Are the same height
B) Stare at each other
C) Agree with them
D) Look similar

Answer: C) Agree with them

Question 11: A “partner in crime” is:

A) An actual criminal accomplice
B) A close friend who joins you in activities
C) Someone you work with
D) A business partner

Answer: B) A close friend who joins you in activities

Question 12: When friends “drift apart,” they:

A) Move to different countries
B) Gradually become less close
C) Have a big argument
D) Start a new friendship

Answer: B) Gradually become less close

Question 13: To “pick up where you left off” means to:

A) Clean up after yourself
B) Resume a friendship as if no time passed
C) Start something new
D) Remember old times

Answer: B) Resume a friendship as if no time passed

Question 14: A “close-knit” group is:

A) Made of knitters
B) Very small
C) Tightly bonded and supportive
D) Exclusive and unfriendly

Answer: C) Tightly bonded and supportive

Question 15: What does “like family” mean when describing friends?

A) They are actual relatives
B) They are so close they feel like family
C) They live together
D) They have the same last name

Answer: B) They are so close they feel like family

Question 16: A “social butterfly” is someone who:

A) Studies insects
B) Is very sociable and outgoing
C) Likes to be alone
D) Changes friends often

Answer: B) Is very sociable and outgoing

Question 17: To “break the ice” means to:

A) Start a fight
B) Make people feel comfortable socially
C) Cool down a situation
D) End a relationship

Answer: B) Make people feel comfortable socially

Question 18: Being “on the same wavelength” means you:

A) Listen to the same radio station
B) Understand each other well
C) Have similar voices
D) Work in radio

Answer: B) Understand each other well

Question 19: To “give someone the cold shoulder” means to:

A) Physically push them away
B) Deliberately ignore them
C) Give them a jacket
D) Offer sympathy

Answer: B) Deliberately ignore them

Question 20: “Water under the bridge” refers to:

A) A flooded river
B) Past problems that are forgiven
C) Current difficulties
D) Future challenges

Answer: B) Past problems that are forgiven

Question 21: When you “extend the hand of friendship,” you:

A) Shake hands formally
B) Make an effort to be friendly
C) Wave goodbye
D) Ask for help

Answer: B) Make an effort to be friendly

Question 22: To “run in the same circles” means to:

A) Exercise together
B) Be part of the same social group
C) Live nearby
D) Have circular conversations

Answer: B) Be part of the same social group

Question 23: When you “open up to someone,” you:

A) Unlock a door for them
B) Share personal thoughts and feelings
C) Invite them to your home
D) Start a conversation

Answer: B) Share personal thoughts and feelings

Question 24: To “lend an ear” means to:

A) Give someone a hearing aid
B) Listen sympathetically
C) Gossip about others
D) Ignore someone

Answer: B) Listen sympathetically

Question 25: If you can “count on someone,” you can:

A) Use them for math help
B) Trust them to help you
C) Include them in groups
D) Predict their behavior

Answer: B) Trust them to help you

Question 26: To “bring out the best in someone” means to:

A) Take them to nice places
B) Encourage their positive qualities
C) Buy them gifts
D) Make them dress well

Answer: B) Encourage their positive qualities

Question 27: When you “take someone under your wing,” you:

A) Literally protect them
B) Provide guidance and mentorship
C) Fly with them
D) Hide them from others

Answer: B) Provide guidance and mentorship

Question 28: To “win someone over” means to:

A) Defeat them in competition
B) Gain their friendship or trust
C) Convince them to visit
D) Beat them at games

Answer: B) Gain their friendship or trust

Question 29: When something “grows on someone,” it:

A) Physically attaches to them
B) Becomes more liked over time
C) Gets bigger near them
D) Annoys them increasingly

Answer: B) Becomes more liked over time

Question 30: To “bond over” something means to:

A) Glue things together
B) Form a connection through shared interests
C) Sign a contract
D) Make promises

Answer: B) Form a connection through shared interests

Question 31: Which idiom describes friends who remain loyal through good and bad times?

A) Fair-weather friends
B) Through thick and thin
C) Birds of a feather
D) Water under the bridge

Answer: B) Through thick and thin

Question 32: “Joined at the hip” means two people are:

A) Physically connected
B) Inseparable
C) Related
D) Uncomfortable together

Answer: B) Inseparable

Question 33: What does it mean to “fall out with someone”?

A) Trip and fall together
B) Have a serious disagreement
C) Leave a building together
D) Accidentally meet

Answer: B) Have a serious disagreement

Question 34: “Bosom friends” are:

A) Friends who hug often
B) Very close and intimate friends
C) Childhood friends
D) Fair-weather friends

Answer: B) Very close and intimate friends

Question 35: When friends “stick together,” they:

A) Use glue
B) Remain united and supportive
C) Stay in one place
D) Avoid separation physically

Answer: B) Remain united and supportive

Question 36: To “rub shoulders with” people means to:

A) Massage them
B) Associate or socialize with them
C) Bump into them accidentally
D) Compete with them

Answer: B) Associate or socialize with them

Question 37: “Keep in touch” means to:

A) Hold hands
B) Maintain regular communication
C) Stay physically close
D) Remember someone

Answer: B) Maintain regular communication

Question 38: A “false friend” is someone who:

A) Tells lies occasionally
B) Pretends to be your friend but is disloyal
C) Uses a fake name
D) Makes false promises

Answer: B) Pretends to be your friend but is disloyal

Question 39: If friendships “stand the test of time,” they:

A) Are tested regularly
B) Remain strong despite years passing
C) Are punctual
D) Follow a schedule

Answer: B) Remain strong despite years passing

Question 40: To “keep someone at arm’s length” means to:

A) Measure distance
B) Maintain emotional distance
C) Push them away physically
D) Give them space to work

Answer: B) Maintain emotional distance

Question 41: “Cross paths” means to:

A) Walk across a street
B) Meet someone, often by chance
C) Block someone’s way
D) Travel in opposite directions

Answer: B) Meet someone, often by chance

Question 42: When you “reconnect with” someone, you:

A) Fix their electricity
B) Reestablish contact after separation
C) Remember their name
D) Introduce them to others

Answer: B) Reestablish contact after separation

Question 43: To “look out for each other” means to:

A) Watch from windows
B) Watch over and protect one another
C) Search for each other
D) Stare at each other

Answer: B) Watch over and protect one another

Question 44: What does “get along like a house on fire” mean?

A) Have a dangerous relationship
B) Have an excellent relationship quickly
C) Argue frequently
D) Live together

Answer: B) Have an excellent relationship quickly

Question 45: “In someone’s corner” means you are:

A) Trapped with them
B) Supporting them, especially during challenges
C) Playing a game with them
D) Hiding near them

Answer: B) Supporting them, especially during challenges

Question 46: “Blood is thicker than water” suggests that:

A) Blood is more viscous
B) Family relationships are stronger than friendships
C) Water is healthier
D) Friends are more important than family

Answer: B) Family relationships are stronger than friendships

Question 47: To “be there for someone” means to:

A) Attend their events
B) Provide support when they need it
C) Live nearby
D) Wait for them

Answer: B) Provide support when they need it

Question 48: A “friend of a friend” is someone you:

A) Know very well
B) Know indirectly through a mutual acquaintance
C) Want to meet
D) Dislike

Answer: B) Know indirectly through a mutual acquaintance

Question 49: “Old friends” refers to people who:

A) Are elderly
B) Have known each other for a long time
C) Have outdated views
D) Are no longer friends

Answer: B) Have known each other for a long time

Question 50: “BFF” stands for:

A) Best Friend Forever
B) Big Friendly Face
C) Before Friends Form
D) Bring Friends Forward

Answer: A) Best Friend Forever