befriend


Also found in: Thesaurus.

be·friend

 (bĭ-frĕnd′)
tr.v. be·friend·ed, be·friend·ing, be·friends
To behave as a friend to.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

befriend

(bɪˈfrɛnd)
vb
(tr) to be a friend to; assist; favour
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•friend

(bɪˈfrɛnd)

v.t.
to act as a friend to; help.
[1550–60]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

befriend


Past participle: befriended
Gerund: befriending

Imperative
befriend
befriend
Present
I befriend
you befriend
he/she/it befriends
we befriend
you befriend
they befriend
Preterite
I befriended
you befriended
he/she/it befriended
we befriended
you befriended
they befriended
Present Continuous
I am befriending
you are befriending
he/she/it is befriending
we are befriending
you are befriending
they are befriending
Present Perfect
I have befriended
you have befriended
he/she/it has befriended
we have befriended
you have befriended
they have befriended
Past Continuous
I was befriending
you were befriending
he/she/it was befriending
we were befriending
you were befriending
they were befriending
Past Perfect
I had befriended
you had befriended
he/she/it had befriended
we had befriended
you had befriended
they had befriended
Future
I will befriend
you will befriend
he/she/it will befriend
we will befriend
you will befriend
they will befriend
Future Perfect
I will have befriended
you will have befriended
he/she/it will have befriended
we will have befriended
you will have befriended
they will have befriended
Future Continuous
I will be befriending
you will be befriending
he/she/it will be befriending
we will be befriending
you will be befriending
they will be befriending
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been befriending
you have been befriending
he/she/it has been befriending
we have been befriending
you have been befriending
they have been befriending
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been befriending
you will have been befriending
he/she/it will have been befriending
we will have been befriending
you will have been befriending
they will have been befriending
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been befriending
you had been befriending
he/she/it had been befriending
we had been befriending
you had been befriending
they had been befriending
Conditional
I would befriend
you would befriend
he/she/it would befriend
we would befriend
you would befriend
they would befriend
Past Conditional
I would have befriended
you would have befriended
he/she/it would have befriended
we would have befriended
you would have befriended
they would have befriended
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.befriend - become friends withbefriend - become friends with; "John and Eric soon became friends"; "Have you made friends yet in your new environment?"
bind, bond, attach, tie - create social or emotional ties; "The grandparents want to bond with the child"
chum up, pal, pal up - become friends; act friendly towards
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

befriend

verb make friends with, back, help, support, benefit, aid, encourage, welcome, favour, advise, sustain, assist, stand by, uphold, side with, patronize, succour It's about an elderly woman and a young nurse who befriends her.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
يُصادِقُ، يَمُدُّ يَدَ العَوْن
přátelit se
sõbrunema
pártol
vingast viî
globoti
draudzīgi izturēties
arkadaş olmakdost olmak

befriend

[bɪˈfrend] VTentablar amistad con, hacerse amigo de
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

befriend

[bɪˈfrɛnd] vt (= make friends with) → se lier d'amitié avec
He was befriended by an elderly lady
BUT Une dame âgée l'a pris sous son aile.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

befriend

vt (= help)sich annehmen (+gen); (= be friend to)Umgang pflegen mit; she seems to have befriended themsie scheint sich mit ihnen angefreundet zu haben
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

befriend

[bɪˈfrɛnd] vtmostrare amicizia a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

befriend

(biˈfrend) verb
to take as a friend. The old man befriended her when she was lonely.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
A Dolphin saw the Monkey contending with the waves, and supposing him to be a man (whom he is always said to befriend), came and placed himself under him, to convey him on his back in safety to the shore.
Theseus departs having promised to aid and befriend him.
Often I says to myself, says I, 'I used to mend all the boys' kites and things, and show 'em where the good fishin' places was, and befriend 'em what I could, and now they've all forgot old Muff when he's in trouble; but Tom don't, and Huck don't -- THEY don't forget him, says I, 'and I don't forget them.' Well, boys, I done an awful thing -- drunk and crazy at the time -- that's the only way I account for it -- and now I got to swing for it, and it's right.
"George could not give up Amelia-- George was married to her"--and then he related the circumstances of the marriage as we know them already: how the poor girl would have died had not her lover kept his faith: how Old Sedley had refused all consent to the match, and a licence had been got: and Jos Sedley had come from Cheltenham to give away the bride: how they had gone to Brighton in Jos's chariot-and-four to pass the honeymoon: and how George counted on his dear kind sisters to befriend him with their father, as women--so true and tender as they were--assuredly would do.
He threatened him with the entire loss of his favour, if he ever heard such another word from his mouth; for, he said, he would never support or befriend a reprobate.
The Sir Richard of the Lea, divining that the Sheriff had been at the King's ear with his story, made a clean breast of all he knew; how that the outlaws had befriended him in sore need--as they had befriended others--and how that he had given them only knightly protection in return.
In this state of suspense they were befriended, not by any sudden illumination of Mr.
Dorothy, too, remembered some of the people, who had befriended her on the occasion of her first visit to Oz, and they were well pleased to see the little Kansas girl again, and showered her with compliments and good wishes.
"So it does," said Don Quixote, "and he is a sage magician, a great enemy of mine, who has a spite against me because he knows by his arts and lore that in process of time I am to engage in single combat with a knight whom he befriends and that I am to conquer, and he will be unable to prevent it; and for this reason he endeavours to do me all the ill turns that he can; but I promise him it will be hard for him to oppose or avoid what is decreed by Heaven."
One ancient crab, that was for ever shuffling frantically from side to side of the pool, had particularly fascinated me: there was a vacancy in its stare, and an aimless violence in its behaviour, that irresistibly recalled the Gardener who had befriended Sylvie and Bruno: and, as I gazed, I caught the concluding notes of the tune of his crazy song.
It would be particularly pleasant to him to dishonor my name and ridicule me, just because I have exerted myself on his behalf, befriended him, and helped him.
When the man so helped has money again, depend upon it that a portion will be spent across the bar of the saloon-keeper who befriended him.