Understanding Different Types of Friendships and Relationships

Close friend

A very good friend.

Enjoy each other's company

To like spending time with each other. Steve and Noah are always together, they definitely enjoy each other's company.

Fair-weather friend

Someone who is your friend only when you are cheerful and successful. 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 second family

That is to say your friends love you and make you feel comfortable.

Get in touch with somebody

To contact somebody. I plan to get in touch with my friends when I return home.

Near and dear to someone

Very important to someone. Her parents are the only people who are near and dear to her.

Shoulder to cry on

Someone who is always ready to listen to your problems. I'm so glad my boyfriend is so kind and sympathetic. It's good to always have a shoulder to cry on.

To be through thick and thin

To have some good times and difficult times together. Your parents have been married for 15 years, they must have been through thick and thin together.

To be well-matched

To be similar to somebody in interests. They are well-matched.

To break up

To end a relationship. It is hard to believe that Jacob and Sarah broke up. They were dating since high school.

To drift apart

To become less close to someone. As years went by, school friends drifted apart.

To fall for someone (to fall in love with someone)

To start loving somebody. They were childhood friends, and he fell for her.

To fall out with

To quarrel, to have a conflict. He left the party after falling out with his girlfriend.

To get on like a house on fire

People get on like a house on fire when they like each other's company and become friends very quickly. I like my new roommate. We have a lot of same interests and get on like a house on fire.

To get on well with somebody

To have a good relationship with somebody. I'm an outgoing person and I easily get on well with new people.

To get to know someone

To become acquainted with someone. I thought Jenna was selfish until I got to know her and understood her real character.

To have a lot in common

To have similar interests.

To have friends in high places

To have friends in powerful positions in business or government. Joe owes his fast career growth to his friends in high places.

To hit it off with somebody

To quickly become close friends with somebody. I could not imagine that Laura will hit it off with Dylan, they are so different.

To lose touch with someone

To lose contact with someone. I lost touch with Mary since she moved to Canada.

To see eye to eye

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

To strike up (a conversation, a relationship)

To start. I feel awkward when I strike up a conversation with unknown people.

Ups and downs

A mixture of good and bad things that happen. We've been friends for almost 30 years, surely we've had our ups and downs.