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.
Putin will be returning to Beijing this week, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
As a recipient of the Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellowship from the Missouri School of Journalism, he focuses his reporting on migration, education, crime and justice, and the South Asian diaspora in the Americas.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant open their book User Friendly with the cautionary tale of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
Friendly locals welcomed us, including the retiree in Hebron, N.D., who brought the gift of one of the town’s famous bricks; we accepted it and mailed it home.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 8, 2025
Laura Friendly finished the green sludge in her water bottle and turned toward the door.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
