Dictionary.com
definitions

befriend

[ bih-frend ]
/ bɪˈfrɛnd /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR befriend ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make friends or become friendly with; act as a friend to; help; aid: to befriend the poor and the weak.

RELATED CONTENT

Nino BrownRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What Makes Accents Appealing?What makes certain accents sexy and others harsh? “The RINE in SPINE fawls MINELY on tha PLINE!” In the song “The Rain in Spain” from the musical My Fair Lady, phonetics professor Henry Higgins (‘enry ‘iggins) pleads with Eliza Doolittle to say “Ay not I, O not Ow.” By the end of the song Eliza’s “AY-ing” and “O-ing” and pronouncing all her H’s. The guttersnipe is …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

advise, patronize, assist, help, uphold, welcome, back, favor, benefit, sustain, encourage, aid

Nearby words

  1. before you can say jack robinson,
  2. before you know it,
  3. beforehand,
  4. beforetime,
  5. befoul,
  6. befuddle,
  7. beg,
  8. beg off,
  9. beg the question,
  10. beg to differ

Origin of befriend

First recorded in 1550–60; be- + friend
Related formsun·be·friend·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for befriended

British Dictionary definitions for befriended

befriend

/ (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

Word Origin and History for befriended

befriend

v.

1550s, from be- + friend (q.v.). Related: Befriended; befriending.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper