befriend

American  

[bih-frend] / bɪˈfrɛnd /

verb (used with object)

1. 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

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befriend British  

/ bɪˈfrɛnd /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• unbefriended adjective

Etymology

Origin of befriend

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + friend

Example Sentences

He studied at the University of Kansas and eventually became a drama critic in St. Louis, where he befriended Tennessee Williams.

From The Wall Street Journal

He befriended Welsh leader Alex Carlile, who sent him a headed fax, giving Jones the chance to steal the insignia and forge a letter in his name offering him a job.

From BBC

"Pat coached, befriended and mentored countless students throughout the years and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone anywhere who has an unkind word to say about him," his family wrote.

From BBC

Stick with me... the real drama comes as Eriko befriends a blogger she follows on social media, but things soon become sour as her longing for companionship turns to obsession.

From BBC

As an adult I acquired a different doppelgänger, not a famous actor but a fellow opinion journalist whom I happened to befriend after moving to New York in the mid-1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advise
• aid
• patronize