friends

friends — 名詞

1. Someone outside your family that you enjoy spending time with and feel close to,

1.名詞A1
釋義

朋友；好友

家人以外感情親近的人

Someone outside your family that you enjoy spending time with and feel close to, often sharing trust, secrets, and shared interests over many years.

例句

Dahlia and Elena have been friends since they were six years old.

Dahlia 和 Elena 從六歲開始就是朋友了。

be friends since [time]

Eitan invited a few close friends to his birthday dinner at the noodle shop.

Eitan 邀請幾位好友到麵店吃生日晚餐。

close friends

同義詞
  • buddy

    informal; mostly American English

  • pal

    informal; slightly older-fashioned

  • mate

    informal; mostly British and Australian English

  • companion

    more formal; emphasises shared time rather than emotional closeness

反義詞
  • enemy

    active hostility, not just absence of friendship

  • stranger

    neutral — someone you don't know, no implied hostility

文法句型

friends with someone

a friend of someone

用法筆記

Usually plural in this sense — most natural collocations (make friends, close friends, school friends) take the plural. Distinguish from sense 2 (a non-hostile party in conflict or competition).

常見錯誤

❌She made friend with the new girl.
✅She made friends with the new girl.
💡the idiom is always plural: make friends with.
❌He is friend of mine.
✅He is a friend of mine.
💡the singular needs the indefinite article.

2. A person, country, or group that you can rely on to support you rather than oppo

2.名詞B1
釋義

盟友；友方

願意支持你而非與你為敵的一方

A person, country, or group that you can rely on to support you rather than oppose you, especially in a situation where there are sides.

例句

Through the long civil war, Mexico remained a steady friend to the small island nation.

整場漫長的內戰中，墨西哥始終是那座小島國堅定的友方。

a friend to [country/group]

The guard at the gate shouted, "Friend or foe?" before lowering his weapon.

守在大門口的衛兵高喊：「是敵是友？」才放下武器。

friend or foe (set phrase)

同義詞
  • ally

    stronger — usually involves a formal agreement to support each other

  • supporter

    emphasises active backing of a cause or person

  • sympathiser

    shares your views but may not act on them

反義詞
  • enemy

    directly opposed

  • foe

    literary or formal — used in the set phrase 'friend or foe'

文法句型

a friend to someone

friend or foe

用法筆記

Often used in political, diplomatic, or military contexts to mark allegiance rather than personal warmth. Distinguish from sense 1 by the absence of personal closeness — a country can be 'a friend' but not your 'close friend'.

常見錯誤

❌Japan is a close friend of Australia.
✅Japan is a friend / a close ally of Australia.
💡'close friend' implies personal relationships; for state-level allegiance use 'ally' or just 'friend'.

3. A person who regularly donates funds or other practical help to a museum, theatr

3.名詞B2
釋義

贊助者；之友

定期捐款支持機構的人

A person who regularly donates funds or other practical help to a museum, theatre, charity, or other public-good institution, usually in return for benefits like free entry or a newsletter.

例句

Adisa joined the Friends of the National Gallery so her children could visit on weekends without paying.

Adisa 加入了「國家美術館之友」，這樣她的孩子週末就能免費入館。

Friends of [organisation] (proper-name pattern)

The small theatre survived the difficult year thanks to donations from its loyal friends.

這家小劇院能撐過艱困的一年，全靠那群忠實贊助者的捐款。

loyal friends (of an institution)

同義詞
  • patron

    more formal; often a single wealthy backer rather than a member of a group

  • donor

    neutral term focused on the gift itself

  • supporter

    broader — may include volunteer work, not only money

文法句型

Friends of [organisation]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a public-good institution (museum, hospital, park, library, charity). Often capitalised in proper names like 'Friends of the Earth'. The bond is financial support, not personal acquaintance.

常見錯誤

❌She is a good friend of the museum because she visits often.
✅She is a Friend of the museum because she pays an annual fee.
💡this sense requires money or material support, not just visits.

4. A member of the Christian group officially called the Society of Friends, known

4.名詞C1
釋義

貴格會教徒

基督教公誼會的成員

A member of the Christian group officially called the Society of Friends, known in everyday speech as the Quakers, whose worship is silent and who refuse to fight in wars.

例句

Hyun's grandmother was a Friend who attended silent worship every Sunday in Philadelphia.

Hyun 的祖母是貴格會教徒，每個禮拜天都在費城參加靜默崇拜。

a Friend (capitalised, religious sense)

During the war, many Friends served as ambulance drivers instead of taking up arms.

戰時許多貴格會教徒選擇開救護車，不願拿起武器。

Friends (plural, the religious group)

同義詞
  • Quaker

    everyday term; the Friends themselves use both

文法句型

a Friend

the Friends

用法筆記

Almost always capitalised to mark the religious meaning and avoid confusion with sense 1. Often appears in the proper name 'Society of Friends'.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is a friend who doesn't drink alcohol.
✅My uncle is a Friend who doesn't drink alcohol.
💡the capital F signals the Quaker meaning; lower case reads as sense 1.

5. Someone you know slightly through other people or work, whom you would greet but

5.名詞B2
釋義

熟人；舊識

認識但交情不深的人

Someone you know slightly through other people or work, whom you would greet but not invite into your private life — a polite stretch of the word for any familiar face.

例句

Élise ran into an old friend from her language class at the supermarket.

Élise 在超市遇到語言課上認識的一位老熟人。

an old friend (mere acquaintance)

Dahlia introduced the new salesman to a friend who worked at the bank next door.

Dahlia 把新來的業務員介紹給在隔壁銀行上班的一位熟人。

a friend (loose use, work contact)

同義詞
  • acquaintance

    more accurate but more distant; often felt as colder

  • contact

    neutral; emphasises usefulness rather than warmth

反義詞

文法句型

a friend of [person]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 by depth of relationship — this sense covers people you barely know but address warmly out of politeness. Often signalled by hedges like 'a friend of mine' rather than 'my friend'.

常見錯誤

❌My friend Dr. Chen treated my flu.' (if you met once)
✅A doctor I once met, Dr. Chen, treated my flu.
💡'my friend' implies the sense-1 closeness; for a slight acquaintance, soften the wording.

friends — 動詞