English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Fair-weather friend
Meaning
The idiom "fair-weather friend" refers to someone who is friendly and supportive only when things are going well or it's convenient. They tend to disappear or become distant when things get difficult or challenging. The phrase often implies that the person is not a true friend, but rather someone who is only there for the good times.
Usage
- Sarah was always there for me during my successful business ventures, but she disappeared when I faced financial difficulties.
- My fair-weather friends only come to hang out with me when it's a beautiful day outside.
- Even though John is my childhood friend, he became distant when I moved away and started facing new challenges in life.
- As soon as things got tough at work, my colleagues who were once friendly stopped talking to me altogether.
- Some people are fair-weather friends because they don't want to get involved in the difficulties that others face.
Roots and History
The idiom "fair-weather friend" dates back to the early 20th century, with the earliest known use appearing in a book called "A Social Grammar of English Usage" by William Strunk Jr. and Eleanor Thurman White in 1920. The phrase has since become a common idiom used to describe someone who is only there for the good times.
Synonyms in English
- Fair-weather ally
- Fair-weather companion
- Fair-weather colleague
- Fair-weather employee
- Fair-weather partner
Synonyms in other languages
- Spanish: amigo de la playa (beach friend)
- French: l'ami du soleil (sun friend)
- Italian: il miglior amico che ho trovato durante le vacanze estivi (the best friend I found during the summer vacation)
- German: Sommerfreund (summer friend)
- Dutch: zomer vriend (summer friend)