befriend

IPA/bɪˈfrend/
KK[bɪfrˈɛnd]IPA/bɪˈfrend/

befriend — verb

  • befriendpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • befriendshe / she / it
  • befriendedpast simple
  • befriending-ing form

1. to build a friendly relationship with someone, often a person who is new, lonely

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to build a friendly relationship with someone, often a person who is new, lonely, or needs support

Example

Nina befriended the shy new girl during lunch on her first day.

befriend + new person at school

An older neighbor befriended Omar after his family moved into the building.

Common collocations
  • befriend a new student
  • befriend a neighbor
  • befriend a lonely child
  • quickly befriend someone
  • be befriended by
Synonyms
  • make friends with

    more neutral and often stresses that the friendship grows on both sides

  • welcome

    can be kind and friendly, but it does not always mean a real friendship begins

  • take under your wing

    narrower; adds the idea of guiding or protecting someone

Antonyms
  • ignore

    describes giving someone no friendly attention

  • shun

    stronger; means deliberately avoiding someone

Grammar Patterns

befriend + person

be befriended by + person

Usage Note

Object is often a person who is new, alone, or in difficulty. This sense commonly describes the gradual start of a friendship, and it is often seen in the passive when the focus is on the person receiving kindness.

Common Mistakes

I befriended with the new student.
I befriended the new student.
befriend takes a direct object and does not use with.

2. to connect with someone on a social media platform by adding them as a friend

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to connect with someone on a social media platform by adding them as a friend

Example

Jared befriended his soccer coach on the team app after practice.

befriend + person + on platform

I only befriend classmates online after we have worked together in person.

online use: add as a friend

Common collocations
  • befriend online
  • befriend on Facebook
  • befriend on the app
  • befriend classmates online
  • be befriended by parents online
Synonyms
  • add

    short everyday word often used when the platform context is already clear

  • friend

    common on some platforms, especially as a button or menu verb

  • connect with

    broader; may mean linking accounts, not specifically becoming platform friends

Antonyms
  • unfriend

    to remove someone from an online friend list

  • block

    stronger; stops contact instead of adding it

Grammar Patterns

befriend + person + online

befriend + person + on + platform

Usage Note

Used for social-network or app-based friend lists, not for following someone or sending a private message. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense can describe a quick online action even if no real friendship develops.

Common Mistakes

I befriended her account yesterday.
I befriended her yesterday.
the object is usually the person, not the account.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For sense 1, befriend suggests that someone begins treating another person as a real friend, often with warmth or support. Make friends with is more neutral and usually sounds more everyday. Welcome can include a friendly first response, but it may stop there and does not always lead to closeness. Take under your wing is narrower because it adds care, guidance, or protection, often from an older or more experienced person. So a classmate can befriend a quiet new student, a host can welcome guests at the door, and a senior nurse can take a new worker under her wing.

befriend ↗make friends withwelcome ↗take under your wing

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Befriend was formed in English by adding the prefix be- to friend. It first meant acting like a friend toward someone or bringing someone into your circle, and later it also developed the online sense of adding a person as a platform friend.