befriend
/bəˈfɹɛnd/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.93 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To act as a friend to (someone, especially a client) by providing companionship and support; to assist, to help.
Transitive verb
verb
To benefit or favour (someone or something); also, to advocate or promote (someone or something).
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "Good Seruilius, vvill you befriend mee ſo farre, as to vſe mine ovvne vvords to him?"
- "[…] I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature, […] Every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me."
- "This particular trainer who had repeatedly befriended "Willie" [an elephant] in many other ways, left the circus for a short time and upon returning to the lot approached him, thinking "Willie" would remember him. As he drew near "Willie" knocked him down and wrapped his trunk around his body. Only the intervention of the entire menagerie force saved him."
- "Befriending one of the 112 managing directors was not enough; you had to befriend a managing director with clout. There was one small problem, of course. Bosses were not always eager to befriend trainees."
- ""We had a professional relationship, whereas the previous vicar was a friend and had befriended me." / "Were you available to befriend people? You said it in a passive voice, as though others befriended you."
- "Negative sibling relations or harmful friendships during the childhood or teen years could make the adult Loner fearful of friendships. […] If you want to befriend the Loner, you have to be willing to show patience as he becomes more comfortable with you and what friendship entails."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- Proto-Indo-European *preyH- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *priHós Proto-Germanic *frijōną Proto-Germanic *frijōndz Proto-West Germanic *friund Old English frēond Middle English frend English friend English befriend From be- (intensifying prefix) + friend (verb). cognates * Dutch bevrienden (“to befriend”) * German befreunden (“to befriend”) * German Low German befründen (“to befriend”) * Saterland Frisian befrüündje (“to befriend”) * West Frisian befreone (“befriended”)
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /bəˈfɹɛnd/
- British English: /bɪˈfɹɛnd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
befriends (present, singular)
befriending (participle, present)
befriended (participle, past)
befriended (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
befriended (first person, past)
befriendest (archaic, present)
befriended (past, second person)
befriendedst (archaic, past)
befriendeth (archaic, present)
befriended (past, singular)