Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Someone who has traits of an enemy and a friend.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A fair-weather friend who is also a rival.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Blend of friend + enemy. Invented independently multiple times. Attested in 1952 without any scare quotes or self-referential apology, clearly suggesting that the writer expected his audience to be unsurprised by encountering the word, but used by other writers in 1979 and 1992 in ways that indicate that those writers considered it a nonce blend and expected that their audiences would view it that way too; these examples are evidence that the word existed for many decades during which it was not yet widely familiar or established (which it now is).
Across languages
15 source translations are retained for this English entry.
