Common Friendship Phrases and Meanings

Friendship Phrases and Their Meanings

Close friend

Meaning: a very good friend.

Enjoy each other's company

Meaning: to like spending time with each other.

Example: Steve and Noah are always together; they definitely enjoy each other's company.

Fair-weather friend

Meaning: someone who is your friend only when you are cheerful and successful.

Example: A lot of John's friends turned out to be fair-weather friends. They were with him when he was rich and left him when he went bankrupt.

Friends are like a second family

Meaning: that is to say your friends love you and make you feel comfortable.

Get in touch with somebody

Meaning: to contact somebody.

Example: I plan to get in touch with my friends when I return home.

Near and dear to someone

Meaning: very important to someone.

Example: Her parents are the only people who are near and dear to her.

Shoulder to cry on

Meaning: someone who is always ready to listen to your problems.

Example: I'm so glad my boyfriend is so kind and sympathetic. It's good to always have a shoulder to cry on.

Be through thick and thin

Meaning: to have some good times and difficult times together.

Example: Your parents have been married for 15 years; they must have been through thick and thin together.

Be well-matched

Meaning: to be similar to somebody in interests.

Example: They are well-matched.

Break up

Meaning: to end a relationship.

Example: It is hard to believe that Jacob and Sarah broke up. They had been dating since high school.

Drift apart

Meaning: to become less close to someone.

Example: As years went by, school friends drifted apart.

Fall for someone (to fall in love with someone)

Meaning: to start loving somebody.

Example: They were childhood friends, and he fell for her.

Fall out with

Meaning: to quarrel; to have a conflict.

Example: He left the party after falling out with his girlfriend.

Get on like a house on fire

Meaning: people get on like a house on fire when they like each other's company and become friends very quickly.

Example: I like my new roommate. We have a lot of the same interests and get on like a house on fire.

Get on well with somebody

Meaning: to have a good relationship with somebody.

Example: I'm an outgoing person and I easily get on well with new people.

Get to know someone

Meaning: to become acquainted with someone.

Example: I thought Jenna was selfish until I got to know her and understood her real character.

Have a lot in common

Meaning: to have similar interests.

Have friends in high places

Meaning: to have friends in powerful positions in business or government.

Example: Joe owes his fast career growth to his friends in high places.

Hit it off with somebody

Meaning: to quickly become close friends with somebody.

Example: I could not imagine that Laura would hit it off with Dylan; they are so different.

Lose touch with someone

Meaning: to lose contact with someone.

Example: I lost touch with Mary since she moved to Canada.

See eye to eye

Meaning: to agree.

Example: I think it's better to live in a big city, but my brother doesn't see eye to eye with me about it.

Strike up (a conversation, a relationship)

Meaning: to start.

Example: I feel awkward when I strike up a conversation with unknown people.

Ups and downs

Meaning: a mixture of good and bad things that happen.

Example: We're friends for almost 30 years; surely we've had our ups and downs.