20 English Idioms about Friendship with Meanings and Examples

Hello English learners! Learning idioms about friendship is a wonderful way to make your English sound more natural, expressive, and fluent. In everyday English, we use many idioms and fixed expressions to talk about close friends, loyalty, support, arguments, and reconciliation. In this lesson, you will learn 20 useful idioms about friendship with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Let us look at them one by one.

1. Get on like a house on fire

Meaning: to become friendly very quickly and enjoy each other’s company immediately.

• I was a little worried they would not like each other, but they got on like a house on fire.
• My cousin and my best friend met at the wedding and got on like a house on fire.

2. Hit it off

Meaning: to like someone and become friendly with them as soon as you meet.

• We hit it off the moment we started talking.
• Olivia and Hannah hit it off straight away at university.

3. Strike up a friendship

Meaning: to begin a friendship, often quite naturally or unexpectedly.

• I struck up a friendship with one of my neighbours during the summer.
• While travelling in Spain, they struck up a friendship with a local family.

4. Like two peas in a pod

Meaning: to be very similar in character, interests, or appearance.

• Those two sisters are like two peas in a pod.
• Jack and Ben are like two peas in a pod — they both love the same music, films, and sports.

5. As thick as thieves

Meaning: very close friends who spend a lot of time together and share everything.

• Emma and Lucy are as thick as thieves.
• They were as thick as thieves at school and are still close today.

6. Be joined at the hip

Meaning: to spend all your time together.

• When they were teenagers, they were practically joined at the hip.
• Mia and Zoe are always together. They seem joined at the hip.

7. Bosom friends

Meaning: very close friends.

• The two girls became bosom friends at boarding school.
• My grandmother and her neighbour were bosom friends for over fifty years.

8. Be on the same wavelength

Meaning: to think in a similar way and understand each other easily.

• Sophie and I have always been on the same wavelength.
• Good friends are often on the same wavelength, even without saying much.

9. Know someone inside out

Meaning: to know someone extremely well.

• I have known Daniel for years, so I know him inside out.
• Best friends often know each other inside out.

10. Go back a long way

Meaning: to have known someone for a long time.

• Laura and I go back a long way — we were at primary school together.
• My father and his best friend go back a long way.

11. A shoulder to cry on

Meaning: a kind and supportive person who listens when you are sad or upset.

• After the break-up, she needed a shoulder to cry on.
• A true friend is often a shoulder to cry on when life gets difficult.

12. Be there for someone

Meaning: to support someone when they need help.

• She was always there for me when I had problems.
• Good friends are there for each other in difficult times.

13. Have someone’s back

Meaning: to support and protect someone.

• Don’t worry — I’ve got your back.
• Real friends have your back, even when things get messy.

14. Stick by someone

Meaning: to remain loyal to someone, especially during difficult times.

• Hannah stuck by her friend when everyone else turned away.
• A loyal friend will stick by you when life is hard.

15. Through thick and thin

Meaning: in both good times and bad times.

• My best friend has supported me through thick and thin.
• They have stayed together through thick and thin for years.

16. A friend in need is a friend indeed

Meaning: a true friend is someone who helps you when you are in trouble.

• When I lost my job, only a few people helped me. It really proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
• This saying reminds us that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

17. Fair-weather friend

Meaning: someone who is only your friend when life is easy or pleasant.

• He disappeared as soon as I needed help. He turned out to be a fair-weather friend.
• You quickly learn who your fair-weather friends are during hard times.

18. Fall out with someone

Meaning: to have an argument and stop being friendly for a time.

• They fell out over something silly and did not speak for months.
• I hate it when close friends fall out.

19. Patch things up

Meaning: to repair a friendship or relationship after an argument.

• After weeks of silence, they finally patched things up.
• I hope you and Sarah can patch things up soon.

20. Bury the hatchet

Meaning: to make peace and end an argument.

• After years of tension, the brothers finally buried the hatchet.
• Life is too short — sometimes it is better to bury the hatchet and move on.

Final Thoughts

Friendship is not only about having fun together. It is also about loyalty, understanding, patience, and support. That is why English has so many idioms to describe different sides of friendship — from meeting someone and becoming close very quickly, to standing by someone during difficult times, or even repairing a friendship after an argument.

Try to learn these expressions in groups:

Becoming friends

• hit it off
• get on like a house on fire
• strike up a friendship

Being very close

• like two peas in a pod
• as thick as thieves
• joined at the hip
• bosom friends
• go back a long way

Support and loyalty

• a shoulder to cry on
• be there for someone
• have someone’s back
• stick by someone
• through thick and thin
• a friend in need is a friend indeed

Problems and reconciliation

• fair-weather friend
• fall out with someone
• patch things up
• bury the hatchet

The more idioms you learn, the more natural and expressive your English will become.

FAQ

What are some common idioms about friendship in English?
Some common idioms about friendship include get on like a house on fire, hit it off, as thick as thieves, through thick and thin, and a friend in need is a friend indeed.

What does “as thick as thieves” mean?
As thick as thieves means very close friends who spend a lot of time together and share everything.

What does “through thick and thin” mean?
It means staying loyal to someone in both good times and bad times.

Are friendship idioms useful for Cambridge exams?
Yes. Idioms about friendship can make your speaking and writing more natural and expressive, especially in B2 First and C1 Advanced tasks when you describe relationships and personal experiences.