friendly
gb/fɹˈɛndli/ us/fɹˈɛndli/
A2
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Kind and pleasant to others
Being nice and kind to people.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is friendly (to/with [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'friendly' with 'friend'; remember 'friendly' is an adjective describing behavior or attitude.
Synonyms
amiable (Slightly more formal; often describes a gentle and pleasant personality.)
|
kind (Focuses more on caring and helpful actions rather than general warmth.)
Antonyms
unfriendly (Direct opposite; describes cold or unkind behavior.)
|
hostile (Implies active dislike or aggression rather than simply lacking warmth.)
Collocations
friendly smile
|friendly tone
|friendly atmosphere
|friendly face
|friendly neighbor
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The new teacher is very friendly to all the students.
- She greeted me with a friendly smile.
- Our neighbors are always friendly when we meet them.
- He has a friendly manner that makes people feel comfortable.
- The receptionist was friendly and helpful.
Learner examples
- My boss is friendly to everyone.
- The shop assistant was friendly.
- I like my friendly neighbor.
- She is friendly with her classmates.
adjective
B1
property
2
Not harmful or dangerous
Safe and not dangerous.
Usage pattern:
[something] is friendly (to/for [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'friendly' here means 'kind'; in this sense it means 'safe' or 'easy to use'.
Synonyms
safe (General term for not causing harm; may lack the sense of being pleasant or easy to use.)
|
harmless (Focuses specifically on causing no injury or damage.)
Antonyms
dangerous (Likely to cause harm or damage.)
|
harmful (Causes injury or damage, often gradually or indirectly.)
Collocations
environmentally friendly
|user-friendly
|skin-friendly
Themes
safety
|environment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This cleaning product is environmentally friendly.
- The software is user-friendly, even for beginners.
- These plants are friendly to bees.
- We chose a skin-friendly detergent for sensitive skin.
- The new policy is friendly toward small businesses.
Learner examples
- This soap is skin-friendly.
- The car is not environmentally friendly.
- The website is very user-friendly.
- The cream is friendly for my skin.
adjective
B2
property
3
Belonging to an ally or partner
On your side in a game, fight, or war.
Usage pattern:
[something] is friendly (forces/fire/territory)
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'friendly fire' as positive; it actually means accidental attack from one's own side.
Synonyms
allied (Often used in military or political contexts to describe formal alliances.)
|
supportive (General term for giving help or encouragement; less formal than 'allied'.)
Antonyms
enemy (Opposing side in a conflict or competition.)
|
hostile (Aggressively opposed; not supportive.)
Collocations
friendly forces
|friendly territory
|friendly fire
Themes
sports
|military
|politics
|relationships
Examples
- The soldiers moved into friendly territory.
- We were accidentally hit by friendly fire during the exercise.
- Friendly forces are advancing from the north.
- They relied on support from friendly nations.
- The team had strong backing from friendly fans.
Learner examples
- We are in friendly territory now.
- Friendly forces came to help us.
- We lost because of friendly fire.
- Friendly teams played together.
Noun
B1
event
4
Non-competitive sports match
A game played for practice, not part of a tournament.
Usage pattern:
play a friendly (against [someone])
Synonyms
exhibition match (More common in American English; emphasizes showing skill rather than competition.)
|
practice game (Focuses on preparation rather than public display.)
Collocations
play a friendly
|international friendly
Themes
sports
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The team will play a friendly against Spain next week.
- They arranged a friendly to prepare for the tournament.
- We won the international friendly 2–1.
- A charity friendly was held to raise funds for the hospital.
- The coach scheduled two friendlies before the season starts.
Learner examples
- We played a friendly with another school.
- The team will have a friendly next week.
- They won the friendly game yesterday.
- We watched a football friendly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
friendly
IPA
GB/fɹˈɛndli/
US/fɹˈɛndli/
Syllables & stress
friendly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (friendly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: friendly
- Comparative: friendlier
- Superlative: friendliest
Word family
Forms
friendlier
adjective
friendliest
adjective
Core family
Related words
befriend
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unfriendly
adjective B1
friendless
adjective
Expressions
friendly fire
1/fɹˈɛndli fˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Accidental attack on own side in combat
When soldiers accidentally attack their own side in war.
Examples
- Several soldiers were injured by friendly fire.
- The incident of friendly fire was investigated by the army.
in a friendly way
1/ˈɪn ə fɹˈɛndli wˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
In a kind and pleasant manner
Doing something in a nice and kind way.
Examples
- He spoke to me in a friendly way.
- They welcomed us in a friendly way.
environmentally friendly
1/ɪnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəli fɹˈɛndli/
fixed phrase
not harmful to the environment
Not damaging the natural world; causing little or no pollution.
Examples
- These bags are environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable.
- We switched to an environmentally friendly laundry detergent that breaks down quickly in water.
- We use environmentally friendly cleaning products at home.
- Biking to work is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to commute.
user-friendly
1/jˈuzɚ fɹˈɛndli/
fixed phrase
easy to use or understand
Easy for people to use or understand.
Examples
- The new app is very user-friendly.
- We worked hard to make the website more user-friendly.
- This camera is user-friendly, even for beginners.