frenemy

American  

[fren-uh-mee] / ˈfrɛn ə mi /

Sometimes frienemy

noun

1. Informal. a person or group that is friendly toward another because the relationship brings benefits, but harbors feelings of resentment or rivalry.

   Clearly, turning the competition into frenemies is good for your business.

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Etymology

Origin of frenemy

First recorded in 1950-55; fr(iend) + enemy

Explanation

A person who pretends to be your friend in order to steal your ideas, compete with you, or gain some sort of advantage over you is not really your friend at all — they're your frenemy. The word frenemy blends friend and enemy to describe someone who acts like your buddy but is actually a sneaky rival. It’s that confusing friendship where you’re not quite sure if they’re cheering you on or secretly trying to outshine you. For example, think of two classmates who seem friendly but are always trying to one-up each other in school — that's a classic frenemy situation!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frenemy

Many believe Jefferson’s frenemy Alexander Hamilton had obvious romantic inclinations toward John Laurens, a military strategist for George Washington.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

When a high-school frenemy convinces four post-college besties in suburban Maryland to let her make a documentary about them, it goes viral, and all millennial hell breaks loose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2026

By contrast, the frequently angry and bitter Saul at least has the kind of shadings that make him a worthy frenemy, and “David” could have mined more conflict from the relationship between the two.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

She was famously the frenemy that fuelled Taylor Swift's diatribe Bad Blood.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025

Here’s the key: River realizes that his arch frenemy and former fellow agent, Spider, was in on the sting that caught him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024