frenemy

noun

fren·​e·​my ˈfre-nə-mē How to pronounce frenemy (audio)
plural frenemies
informal : a person who is or pretends to be a friend but who is also in some ways an enemy or rival
In Hollywood, everyone has lots of frenemies, usually people who are doing comparatively well at any given moment.Pete Clark
In an awkward awards ceremony, Phil [Mickelson] and Tiger [Woods] stood on the 18th green together as frenemies. Phil held up the crystal trophy for the tournament title, while Tiger squirreled away a $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup …Selena Roberts

Examples of frenemy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Though Gibson did not have a frenemy named Milla Blake in real life, the character is loosely based on a real person the influencer came into contact with. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025 That disbelief was perhaps best exemplified on episode 5 of The Traitors when Danielle Reyes tried to convince her former Big Brother frenemy Britney Haynes that Carolyn was a Traitor. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2025 But the musical is really Elphaba’s story, with Grande’s Glinda along for the ride as her best frenemy. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025 Determined to save her frenemy, Mer approached Bailey for a consult and, always having been a terrible secret-keeper, disclosed the identity of the patient. Charlie Mason, TVLine, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for frenemy 

Word History

Etymology

blend of friend entry 1 and enemy

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frenemy was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near frenemy

Cite this Entry

“Frenemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenemy. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

frenemy

noun
fren·​e·​my
ˈfren-ə-mē
plural frenemies
informal : someone who pretends to be a friend but is really an enemy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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