characteristic of or befitting a friend; showing friendship.
a friendly greeting.
like a friend; kind; helpful.
a little friendly advice.
favorably disposed; inclined to approve, help, or support.
a friendly bank.
not hostile or at variance; amicable.
a friendly warship;
friendly natives.
easy to use, operate, understand, etc. (usually used in combination).
a consumer-friendly instruction manual;
a friendly food processor.
able to coexist with something without harm or trouble (usually used in combination).
environmentally friendly building materials;
a child-friendly restaurant.
showing or expressing liking, goodwill, or trust
a friendly smile
on the same side; not hostile
tending or disposed to help or support; favourable
a friendly breeze helped them escape
Friendly, describes people who are kind, caring, and make you feel comfortable. You might be new to town, but the people are so friendly that you'll soon feel right at home. The noun friend is at the root of the adjective friendly. When you're friendly, you treat everyone like a friend — with warmth and respect. A friendly game of badminton is by definition not too serious or competitive, and a vegetarian-friendly menu makes non meat-eaters feel welcome, just as user-friendly instructions make it easy for non-professionals to follow the directions.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even after the astonishing qualification-clinching victory against Denmark in November, there was a shift in mood following underwhelming displays in back-to-back friendly defeats against Japan and Ivory Coast.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
While they remain heavily favoured to progress from the play-offs, they could have used the autumn international break to play friendly matches and try new things.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The leaders agreed to put the two nations' friendly relations "on a more solid basis", North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
With the Knicks in the Finals for the first time in a generation, New Yorkers have become increasingly unwilling to tolerate fence-sitting — even from one of the world’s most famously friendly Muppets.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
And although Duane and Handsome met Major Puff back in the autumn, it was a brief meeting and, as you may recall, not altogether friendly.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
