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Definition of friendly adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

friendly

adjective
 
/ˈfrendli/
 
/ˈfrendli/
(comparative friendlier, superlative friendliest)
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  1. behaving in a kind and pleasant way because you like somebody or want to help them
    • a warm and friendly person
    • The bar is great and the staff are friendly.
    • friendly toward(s) somebody Everyone was very friendly towards me.
    • friendly to somebody I'm sure that the people are friendlier to strangers in Romania.
    opposite unfriendly
    Extra Examples
    • For once he seemed almost friendly.
    • Frank was a genuinely friendly guy.
    • He seemed detached, almost bored, but perfectly friendly.
    • He was starting to get too friendly.
    • Everyone was exceptionally friendly towards me.
    • She's a very warm and friendly person.
    Topics Personal qualitiesa1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • appear
    • be
    • look
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • to
    • towards/​toward
    See full entry
  2. showing that somebody is kind; making you feel relaxed and as though you are among friends
    • a friendly smile/welcome
    • a friendly gesture/greeting
    • a small hotel with a friendly atmosphere
    • Instantly I felt at home with her big smile and friendly face.
    • This is a very friendly neighbourhood.
    Extra Examples
    • John gave me a friendly smile.
    • The boss had a friendly chat with me about the problem after work.
    • She was always available with some friendly advice, or a shoulder to cry on.
    • Her manner was not exactly friendly
    opposite unfriendly
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • appear
    • be
    • look
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • to
    • towards/​toward
    See full entry
  3. treating somebody as a friend
    • friendly with somebody We soon became friendly with the couple next door.
    • She was on friendly terms with most of the hospital staff.
    • We were not on the friendliest of terms (= we were not friendly at all).
    Extra Examples
    • She's very friendly with Maureen.
    • We have managed to remain on friendly terms.
    • They were pretty friendly when they worked together.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • with
    phrases
    • be on friendly terms (with somebody)
    See full entry
  4. (especially of the relationship between countries) not treating somebody/something as an enemy
    • to maintain friendly relations with all countries
    opposite hostile
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • with
    phrases
    • be on friendly terms (with somebody)
    See full entry
  5. (often in compound adjectives) that is helpful and easy to use; that helps somebody/something or does not harm it
    • This software is much friendlier than the previous version.
    • child-friendly policies
    • Without a doubt, friendly bacteria are essential for good health.
    see also eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, family-friendly, ozone-friendly, user-friendly
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    adverb
    • environmentally
    See full entry
  6. [usually before noun] in which people are not arguing or competing in a serious or unpleasant way
    • a friendly argument
    • friendly rivalry
    • The tournament always sparks some friendly banter about who is the best nation.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsb1
  7. [only before noun] (British English) (of a game or match) not part of an important competition
    • It was only a friendly match.
See friendly in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee friendly in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
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