Idioms are vibrant and expressive phrases that add a splash of color to our everyday conversations, making them more engaging and meaningful. These figurative expressions often carry deeper meanings beyond their literal words, allowing us to convey emotions, situations, and relationships in a creative and relatable way. For anyone looking to celebrate or understand the bonds of friendship, idioms offer a treasure trove of wisdom and wit. Friendship-related idioms, in particular, beautifully capture the essence of trust, loyalty, support, and shared experiences that define strong connections. In this blog post, we’ll explore 45 idioms that reflect the joys, challenges, and nuances of friendship, complete with their meanings, example sentences, and alternative ways to express them. Plus, we’ve included a fun exercise to help you practice these idioms and weave them into your daily conversations. Let’s dive into this heartwarming collection of friendship idioms and celebrate the ties that bind us!
Idioms for Friendship
1. Thick as thieves
Meaning: Describes a very close and loyal friendship where two people share secrets and trust each other completely.
In a Sentence: Ever since they met in kindergarten, Sarah and Emma have been thick as thieves, always sharing their deepest thoughts and secrets.
Other Ways to Say: Inseparable, Like glue, Close-knit
2. A friend in need is a friend indeed
Meaning: A true friend is someone who helps you when you’re in trouble.
In a Sentence: When my car broke down in the middle of nowhere, Jake drove an hour to pick me up, proving that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Other Ways to Say: True friend, Reliable buddy
3. Birds of a feather flock together
Meaning: People with similar interests or personalities tend to form friendships.
In a Sentence: It’s no surprise that Mia and Liam became best friends; they’re both obsessed with sci-fi movies and video games, truly birds of a feather flocking together.
Other Ways to Say: Like-minded pals, Kindred spirits
4. Through thick and thin
Meaning: Sticking together in good times and bad.
In a Sentence: Despite moving to different cities, Rachel and Tom have stayed friends through thick and thin, always supporting each other through life’s ups and downs.
Other Ways to Say: In good times and bad, Ride or die
5. Two peas in a pod
Meaning: Two friends who are very similar and always together.
In a Sentence: Watching Clara and Zoe finish each other’s sentences, you’d think they were two peas in a pod, always in sync and inseparable.
Other Ways to Say: Like twins, Perfect match
6. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To make an extra effort to help or support a friend.
In a Sentence: When I was sick, my best friend Sophia went the extra mile by bringing me homemade soup and staying to cheer me up with funny stories.
Other Ways to Say: Do more than expected, Put in extra effort
7. Hit it off
Meaning: To quickly become good friends with someone.
In a Sentence: At the summer camp, I hit it off with Alex right away because we both loved hiking and had the same sense of humor.
Other Ways to Say: Click instantly, Get along great
8. Shoulder to cry on
Meaning: A friend who listens and provides emotional support during tough times.
In a Sentence: After a tough breakup, I was grateful to have my friend Mark as a shoulder to cry on, always ready to listen without judgment.
Other Ways to Say: Emotional support, Comforting friend
9. In the same boat
Meaning: Sharing the same situation or challenges as someone else.
In a Sentence: When we both failed the math test, it was comforting to know that my friend Lily and I were in the same boat, struggling together.
Other Ways to Say: In the same situation, Facing the same issue
10. Keep someone in the loop
Meaning: To keep a friend informed about what’s happening.
In a Sentence: Even though she was away on vacation, I made sure to keep my friend Ava in the loop about our group project’s progress.
Other Ways to Say: Keep updated, Stay in touch
11. Burn bridges
Meaning: To ruin a friendship or relationship, often permanently.
In a Sentence: By spreading rumors about his friend, Jack burned bridges with someone who had always been there for him.
Other Ways to Say: Destroy ties, End a relationship
12. Fair-weather friend
Meaning: A friend who is only there during good times but disappears during difficulties.
In a Sentence: I thought Chloe was my best friend, but she turned out to be a fair-weather friend, nowhere to be found when I needed her most.
Other Ways to Say: Unreliable friend, Only there when it’s easy
13. Get on like a house on fire
Meaning: To get along extremely well with someone, like close friends.
In a Sentence: From the moment they met at the book club, Emily and Noah got on like a house on fire, chatting for hours about their favorite novels.
Other Ways to Say: Really click, Bond instantly
14. Lend a hand
Meaning: To help a friend with something.
In a Sentence: When I was moving to a new apartment, my friend Daniel lent a hand by helping me carry heavy boxes all day.
Other Ways to Say: Pitch in, Offer help
15. On the same wavelength
Meaning: When friends understand each other perfectly and share similar thoughts.
In a Sentence: Planning the party was so easy because my friend Maya and I were on the same wavelength about every detail, from decorations to music.
Other Ways to Say: In sync, Thinking alike
16. Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret, often about a friend or shared plan.
In a Sentence: I trusted my friend Ben with the surprise party details, but he accidentally spilled the beans to the birthday girl.
Other Ways to Say: Let the secret out, Blurt it out
17. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation or friendship in a relaxed way.
In a Sentence: At the new school, I broke the ice with my classmate by asking about her favorite video game, and we’ve been friends ever since.
Other Ways to Say: Start a conversation, Ease the tension
18. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret about a friend or plan.
In a Sentence: I was planning a surprise for my friend, but my little brother let the cat out of the bag when he mentioned it at dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Spill the beans, Give away the secret
19. Have someone’s back
Meaning: To support or defend a friend in tough situations.
In a Sentence: When I was nervous about the school debate, my friend Olivia had my back and cheered me on from the front row.
Other Ways to Say: Stand by someone, Be there for them
20. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or joke with a friend in a playful way.
In a Sentence: When my friend said she saw a UFO, I knew she was pulling my leg just to make me laugh.
Other Ways to Say: Tease, Kid around
21. Joined at the hip
Meaning: Describes friends who are always together.
In a Sentence: You can’t invite one without the other; those two are joined at the hip, always hanging out at school and on weekends.
Other Ways to Say: Inseparable, Always together
22. Keep your chin up
Meaning: To encourage a friend to stay positive during tough times.
In a Sentence: When my friend was upset about losing the game, I told her to keep her chin up because she played her best.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Don’t lose hope
23. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad but turns out to be good for the friendship.
In a Sentence: Missing the concert was a blessing in disguise because my friend and I ended up having a fun night talking and watching movies instead.
Other Ways to Say: Hidden benefit, Unexpectedly positive
24. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Mistaking someone’s intentions or misunderstanding a friend.
In a Sentence: If you think I was upset with you, you’re barking up the wrong tree; I was just tired that day.
Other Ways to Say: Mistaken, Off the mark
25. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To avoid bringing up past issues that could harm a friendship.
In a Sentence: We had a small disagreement last week, but I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not mention it again.
Other Ways to Say: Leave it alone, Don’t stir trouble
26. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy, often because of a friend’s gesture or shared moment.
In a Sentence: I was on cloud nine when my best friend surprised me with tickets to my favorite band’s concert.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Ecstatic
27. Take a rain check
Meaning: To politely decline a friend’s invitation but suggest doing it later.
In a Sentence: I was too tired to join my friends for pizza, so I told them I’d take a rain check for next weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, Reschedule
28. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a disagreement or tension between friends worse.
In a Sentence: Bringing up that old argument during lunch only added fuel to the fire between my two friends.
Other Ways to Say: Make it worse, Stir the pot
29. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s up to a friend to make the next move or decision.
In a Sentence: I apologized for the misunderstanding, so now the ball is in your court to decide if we can move forward.
Other Ways to Say: Your move, It’s up to you
30. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To face a difficult situation in a friendship head-on.
In a Sentence: I had to bite the bullet and talk to my friend about how her words hurt my feelings.
Other Ways to Say: Face it, Deal with it
31. Don’t cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Don’t dwell on past mistakes or issues in a friendship.
In a Sentence: We had a fight, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk; let’s just make up and move on.
Other Ways to Say: Let it go, Move forward
32. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To perfectly understand or describe a situation in a friendship.
In a Sentence: When my friend said I was stressed because of exams, she hit the nail on the head.
Other Ways to Say: Got it right, Spot on
33. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: To join in on something popular with friends.
In a Sentence: All my friends were trying the new dance challenge, so I jumped on the bandwagon and learned it too.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the trend, Join the fun
34. Keep an eye on
Meaning: To watch out for or take care of a friend.
In a Sentence: I asked my friend to keep an eye on my backpack while I ran to the bathroom during our picnic.
Other Ways to Say: Look after, Watch over
35. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To accomplish two things with one action in a friendship.
In a Sentence: By studying together at the café, we killed two birds with one stone, finishing our homework and catching up.
Other Ways to Say: Do two things at once, Be efficient
36. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Asking a friend what they’re thinking about.
In a Sentence: You’ve been quiet all day, so a penny for your thoughts—what’s on your mind?
Other Ways to Say: What’s up? Tell me what you’re thinking
37. Give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore or act distant toward a friend.
In a Sentence: After our argument, she gave me the cold shoulder for days, refusing to talk or even look at me.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Shut out
38. Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To overreact to a small issue in a friendship.
In a Sentence: She made a mountain out of a molehill when I forgot to text her back right away.
Other Ways to Say: Blow it out of proportion, Overreact
39. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up on fixing or maintaining a friendship.
In a Sentence: After trying to resolve our issues, I was tempted to throw in the towel, but we worked it out instead.
Other Ways to Say: Give up, Quit
40. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling unwell or not at your best, often affecting time with friends.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t join my friends for the movie because I was feeling under the weather all weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling sick, Not well
41. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid addressing an issue directly in a friendship.
In a Sentence: Instead of beating around the bush, just tell me why you’re upset with me so we can fix it.
Other Ways to Say: Be indirect, Avoid the point
42. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on too many responsibilities, affecting time with friends.
In a Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew with all these club activities, leaving little time to hang out with my friends.
Other Ways to Say: Take on too much, Overcommit
43. Cold feet
Meaning: Feeling nervous or hesitant about something involving a friend.
In a Sentence: I got cold feet about confronting my friend about her behavior, but I knew it was necessary.
Other Ways to Say: Feel nervous, Have second thoughts
44. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To stay up late working or helping a friend.
In a Sentence: We burned the midnight oil to finish our group project, laughing and snacking to keep each other motivated.
Other Ways to Say: Stay up late, Pull an all-nighter
45. Cross that bridge when you come to it
Meaning: To deal with a problem in a friendship when it arises, not before.
In a Sentence: I’m not sure how we’ll handle moving to different colleges, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Other Ways to Say: Deal with it later, Handle it when it happens
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- When my friend needed help with her homework, I decided to _______ a hand to make it easier for her.
- We’ve been friends for years, sticking together _______ thick and thin, no matter what life throws at us.
- At the party, I told a funny story to _______ the ice and get everyone talking.
- My two best friends are like _______ peas in a pod, always finishing each other’s sentences.
- When I was upset about my grades, my friend was a _______ to cry on, listening to all my worries.
- We were both nervous about the talent show, so we were in the _______ boat, supporting each other.
- I accidentally _______ the beans about the surprise birthday party, ruining the plan.
- My friend always _______ my back when I’m dealing with tough situations at school.
- Don’t _______ a mountain out of a molehill just because I forgot to call you back yesterday.
- After failing the test, my friend told me to _______ my chin up and try harder next time.
- By helping my friend with her chores, I _______ two birds with one stone by spending time together too.
- You look lost in thought—a _______ for your thoughts?
Answers:
lend, through, break, two, shoulder, same, spilled, has, make, keep, killed, penny
Conclusion
Friendship idioms are a delightful way to express the joys, challenges, and loyalty that define strong bonds. These phrases not only make conversations more lively but also help us appreciate the value of true friendship. By incorporating these idioms into your daily speech, whether with friends, family, or classmates, you can add warmth and humor to your interactions. Practice using them in real-life situations to make them a natural part of your vocabulary. After all, friendships are one of life’s greatest treasures, and idioms give us the perfect words to celebrate them!