friendly
adjective
characteristic of or befitting a friend; showing friendship.
friendly
American
[frend-lee]
/ ˈfrɛnd li /
adjective
-
friendlier,
comparative
-
friendliest
superlative
-
characteristic of or befitting a friend; showing friendship.
a friendly greeting.
- Synonyms:
- neighborly, companionable
-
like a friend; kind; helpful.
a little friendly advice.
- Synonyms:
- cordial, amiable, kindly, kindhearted, affectionate, genial
-
favorably disposed; inclined to approve, help, or support.
a friendly bank.
- Synonyms:
- propitious, sympathetic, favorable, helpful, well-disposed, benevolent
- Antonyms:
- antagonistic
-
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.
adverb
noun
-
friendlies
plural
friendly
1
British
/ ˈfrɛndlɪ /
adjective
-
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
noun
-friendly
2
British
combining form
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of friendly
Explanation
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.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
From MSU, he was off again, this time to a friendly crowd where he once again repeated his brief 9/11 speech before moving on to more familiar applause lines.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In a statement to ProPublica, Kremlev's office said "Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship."
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
In a statement, Kremlev’s press office said, “Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship” and they first met “a couple of years ago.”
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Screens and a lack of friendly workers has turned off customers such as Carolyn Blue, an attorney from Charleston, S.C., and lifelong McDonald’s fan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
I shifted nervously as I took in the four faces staring back at us with a friendly, expectant look I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“Google fans seem to eat this kumbaya stuff up, to really believe it,” wrote John Gruber, a blogger who runs the -friendly site Daring Fireball.
From Forbes ● May 16, 2013
There are lines, -friendly soundbites and poetry, and then there is John Cooper Clarke.
From The Guardian ● May 3, 2013
Lewis-Skelly has been one of the standout performers during pre-season and has started the past two friendlies as the Gunners prepare for the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
While Lewis-Skelly has started and impressed in pre-season friendlies against Girona and Real Betis, and the player is focused on working hard for his opportunities for in the upcoming campaign.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The only senior player other then Joao Pedro to particularly impress was winger Jamie Gittens, who made it three goals in three appearances in pre-season, following his two in behind-closed-doors friendlies against EFL opposition.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
England's only two wins in their first 16 fixtures with Scotland were friendlies and at home.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Who are the friendlies ahead of us?” he asked.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
“That doesn’t make a home within reach for everyone, but, for people who can afford to buy now, it’s a much friendlier market than it was a few years ago.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Indeed, United did not have a shot on target until the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time, substitute Simi Awujo's goal giving the scoreline a friendlier look.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Infosys created its yeti—partly generated by AI—to put a friendlier face on its artificial-intelligence consulting services, according to Sumit Virmani, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Here the surroundings are less bleak, the library better, the prisoners friendlier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
And on some level, I expected a brand- new Birmingham—a friendlier and more accommodating Birmingham, where my children could experience the freedom that had been lacking for me as a child.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
The friendliest U.S. cities, according to World Cup tourists.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Decades of retelling this story means "kindliest" has now turned into "friendliest".
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
In the end, Elmer the patchwork elephant seemed the friendliest, least controversial decision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026
Jack, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever with the biggest, friendliest eyes, was gone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
Ask anyone around here who was the easiest, friendliest, simplest of the Mirabal girls, and they’d tell you, Patria Mercedes.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
