Here you will learn English expressions about friendship. These expressions will help intermediate English students to talk about friendship in English correctly.
If you’re preparing for IELTS, TOEFL, or CAE, mastering these natural English expressions will also improve your listening comprehension. Native speakers use them without thinking, so understanding them will make real English conversations easier to follow. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to use these idioms naturally and recognise them when you hear them.
List of English Idioms
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English Expressions about Friendship
Where would we be without friends? Friendship is important for everyone. We rely on friends for support, laughter, and shared experiences. But how do you talk about friendship naturally in English?
In this post, you’ll learn 11 essential friendship idioms, their meanings, and how to use them in everyday conversations. These expressions will help you speak more naturally, understand native speakers better, and improve your English fluency.
Let’s get started!
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go back a long way
Meaning: you’ve known each other for a long time, often since childhood or school
Examples:
They’ve been best friends since school—they go back a long way.
Paul? We go back a long way! We haven’t seen each other in years, but it feels like no time has passed.
to hit it off
Meaning: to become friends immediately, with an instant connection
Examples:
We hit it off as soon as we started talking about football.
She hit it off with her new colleague on the first day.
not see eye to eye
Meaning: to disagree with someone, often regularly
Examples:
We don’t see eye to eye on politics, but that’s fine. We just think differently.
They don’t see eye to eye on how to spend money, so they avoid the topic.
She didn’t see eye to eye with him about how he spoke to someone. It sounded rude to her.
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like chalk and cheese
Meaning: completely different in personality or interests
Ah, those guys? They’ve been friends for years, but they’re like chalk and cheese.
One is always out socialising, the other prefers staying home. They’re like chalk and cheese!
get on like a house on fire
Meaning: become very good friends quickly and enjoy each other’s company
Example:
We had so much in common that we got on like a house on fire straight away.
I just met him a couple of weeks ago, and it seems as if I’ve known him all my life. We got on like a house on fire!
English Expressions about Friendship

clicked
Meaning: an informal word used to describe how two people became friends very quickly
Example:
They had been together for 12 years. They liked each other the first moment they met.
We met at a conference and just clicked—we had so much in common.
They clicked instantly and have been best friends ever since.
have someone’s back
Meaning: being reliable and ready to help when needed
Examples:
Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Whatever happens, I’ll be there to help.
He knew she would never judge him. She always had his back when he needed support.
be on the same wavelength
Meaning: you think alike and understand each other easily
Examples:
Yeah, I know where you’re going with this. We’re on the same wavelength. I think exactly the same.
They always agree on big decisions because they’re on the same wavelength.
have ups and downs
Meaning: a friendship with good times and bad times, but you stick with each other
Examples:
Like all friendships, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we always sort things out.
Their friendship isn’t perfect—they’ve had their ups and downs, but they’ve stuck together.
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know somebody inside out
Meaning: you understand them completely, including their habits and personality
Examples:
After years of marriage, I know my wife inside out.
She knows her best friend inside out. Nothing surprises her!
a fair-weather friend
Meaning: someone who is only a friend when things are good but disappears when times are tough
Examples:
He thought they were close, but when he needed help, he realised they were just fair-weather friends.
Fair-weather friends disappear when things get tough, but real friends stick around.
⭐️ Friends is a very common word used to describe those closest to us who are not family members. We can also use several other words that have the same meaning:
- BUDDY – American English
- MATE (plural MATES) – British English
- PALS
- CHUMS
Other English expressions about friendship include best friends or close friends.
We can also be childhood friends (a long time) or school friends.
When we have these sort of friendships the adjectives we can use to describe the friendship in English include:
⭐️ inseparable – always together
or a noun to describe such a relationship is:
⭐️ a bromance – a relatively new English word that is a combination of Brother and Romance.
Let’s move on and learn 4 English Idioms and about Friendship
English Idioms and Expressions about Friendship

a shoulder to cry on
Meaning: someone who listens and provides emotional support when you are upset or going through a difficult time
Examples:
After her breakup, Emma needed a shoulder to cry on, so she called her best friend.
Whenever I’m stressed, he’s always there as a shoulder to cry on.
A Shoulder to Cry On Idiom Meaning
a shoulder to cry on meaning - video lesson
two peas in a pod
Meaning: two people who are very similar in personality, interests, or behaviour; they along extremely well
The peas are identical. It is very difficult to see any difference.
Example:
Oh, look at those two. Always together always doing the same thing they are like two peas in a pod.
Tom and Jake are like two peas in a pod—they do everything together.
Sarah and her sister are two peas in a pod. They look alike and even think alike!
Two Peas in a Pod Meaning

joined at the hip
Meaning: similar in meaning to like two peas in a pod.
Example:
Those two are joined at the hip. Where ever one is the other is sure to be close by.
through thick and thin
Meaning: stay friends no matter what happens, in good and bad times
Example:
He lost his job, but his friends stood by him through thick and thin.
When his wife had a baby, his friends were there to celebrate. They’ve been with him through thick and thin.
They’ve stayed friends through thick and thin, no matter what life throws at them.
More Information
For more information on English vocabulary words, expressions and phrases, check out the following links:
How to warn someone in English
English Collocations with SELF
Different ways to say NO in English
As always, plenty of learning material in available on BBC Learning English and Learn English British Council.