Meanings
- If a friend helps one when one is in need, that person is a true friend.
A friend in need is a friend indeed, Een vrient in noot / is een vrient in der daet.
1658, The English Schole-master; or Certaine Rules and Helpes, whereby the Natives of the Netherlandes, may bee, in a Short Time, Taught to Read, Understand, and Speake the English Tongue. […], Amsterdam: […] Iohn Bouman, →OCLC, page 965 more examples
Every one is a kinſman to him that is proſperous, but a friend in need is a friend indeed.
1661 May 3, John Bramhall, “Discourse III. A Sermon Preached at Dublin, upon the 23. of April, 1661 [Julian calendar], being the Day Appointed for His Majesties Coronation; […]”, in Jo[hn] Lymeric [pseudonym; John Vesey], editor, The Works of the Most Reverend Father in God, John Bramhall D.D. […], Dublin: […] His Majesties Printing-House, published 1676, →OCLC, tome IV, page 955It is a true ſaying, my Ingenio, that a Friend in need, is a Friend indeed, as I doubt not but you will be fully apprized, upon peruſal of what I here ſend you.
1756, “Sect. XVI.”, in The Fortune-teller; or, The Footman Ennobled. […], volume II, London: […] F. Noble […]; and J. Noble, […], →OCLC, page 235A friend in need is a friend indeed, ſay I;—but you can't judge of it.—No,—unleſs you had the rope about your neck, and were walking all alive to your grave.
1795, Frederick Schiller [i.e., Friedrich Schiller], translated by [Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee], The Robbers. A Tragedy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] G. G. and J. Robinson, […], →OCLC, act II, page 57The gentlemen on the other side of the House have been peculiarly called the friends of the people; remember a friend in need is a friend indeed. Is there, then, no some one who will step out from among them to save this tottering branch of our Government from falling!
1802 February 3, Aaron Ogden, “Judiciary System [Third Reading of the bill to repeal certain acts respecting the organization of the Courts of the United States, and for other purposes]”, in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States; […] (United States Senate, 7th Congress), Washington, D.C.: […] Gales and Seaton, published 1851, →OCLC, column 178Friends should be ready to assist each other. Kind offices ought never to be omitted, but they are especially called for in seasons of affliction. "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
1875, J[ohn] Murdoch, “Companions and Neighbours”, in The Indian Student’s Manual. Hints on Studies, Moral Conduct, Religious Duties, and Success in Life, Madras, Tamil Nadu: The Christian Vernacular Education Society; […], →OCLC, page 172 - If a friend is in need of help, it is beneficial and wise to help them.
"You know, they say a friend in need is a friend indeed. I donated blood, but others even donate hearts, so after all, I feel pretty good that my friend is now safe from the little blood I could drop," Katy said passionately.
2011, Appau Ama Tiwaa, Our Perfect Moment, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 811 more example
'Stan!' Ian replies, with a hurt look on his face. 'Would I do a thing like that? I'm just here to give you moral support. I reckon you're going to need all the help you can get. You know what they say; a friend in need is a friend indeed.'/ 'Or in your mind, a friend in need is a soft target. Now piss off!'
2011, Paul A. Rose, “Saturday; Love is in the Air”, in Los Hombres de Bolton (The Men from Bolton), Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicester: Matador, →ISBN, page 153
Origin
The idea that false friends will abandon a person in times of adversity while true friends will reveal themselves and provide help is ancient: the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) wrote in Hecuba (424 BC), ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς γὰρ ἁγαθοὶ σαφέστατοι φίλοι: τὰ χρηστὰ δ’ αὔθ’ ἕκαστ’ ἔχει φίλους (en toîs kakoîs gàr hagathoì saphéstatoi phíloi: tà khrēstà d’ aúth’ hékast’ ékhei phílous, “it is in trouble’s hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case finds friends”), and the Roman poet Ennius (c. 239 – c. 169 BC) observed in his Tragedies that amicus certus in re incerta cernitur (“a sure friend is known in unsure times”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic الصَّدِيق وَقْت الضِيق
- الصَّدِيق وَقْت الضِيق (aṣ-ṣadīq waqt aḍ-ḍīq)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Bulgarian прия́тел в ну́жда се позна́ва
- прия́тел в ну́жда се позна́ва (prijátel v núžda se poznáva)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Chinese Cantonese 患難見真情 /患难见真情
- 患難見真情 /患难见真情 (waan⁶ naan⁶ gin³ zan¹ cing⁴)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Chinese Mandarin 患難見真情 /患难见真情
- 患難見真情 /患难见真情 (huànnàn jiàn zhēnqíng)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Czech v nouzi poznáš přítele
- v nouzi poznáš příteleif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Danish i nøden kender man sine venner
- i nøden kender man sine vennerif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Dutch in nood leert men zijn vrienden kennen, vrienden in de nood, hondert in een lood
- in nood leert men zijn vrienden kennenif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- vrienden in de nood, hondert in een loodif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Finnish hädässä ystävä tunnetaan
- hädässä ystävä tunnetaanif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
French c’est dans le besoin que l’on reconnaît ses amis
- c’est dans le besoin que l’on reconnaît ses amisif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
German wahre Freunde erkennt man in der Not, in der Not erkennt man seine Freunde
- wahre Freunde erkennt man in der Notif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- in der Not erkennt man seine Freundeif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- Freunde in der Not gehen hundert auf ein Lotif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Hungarian bajban ismerszik meg a jó barát
- bajban ismerszik meg a jó barátif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Icelandic sá er vinur, sem í raun reynist
- sá er vinur, sem í raun reynistif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Italian gli amici si vedono nel momento del bisogno
- gli amici si vedono nel momento del bisognoif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Japanese まさかの時の友こそ真の友
- まさかの時の友こそ真の友 (masaka no toki no tomo koso shin no tomo)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Malay صحابت يڠ سبنر سديا منولوڠ صحابت دالم کسوسهن, sahabat yang sebenar sedia menolong sahabat dalam kesusahan
- صحابت يڠ سبنر سديا منولوڠ صحابت دالم کسوسهنif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- sahabat yang sebenar sedia menolong sahabat dalam kesusahanif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Polish prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzie
- prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzieif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Portuguese amigo na necessidade é amigo de verdade
- amigo na necessidade é amigo de verdadeif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Romanian prietenul la nevoie se cunoaște
- prietenul la nevoie se cunoașteif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Russian друг познаётся в беде́
- друг познаётся в беде́ (drug poznajótsja v bedé)if a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Scottish Gaelic aithnichear an caraid an là na faiche
- aithnichear an caraid an là na faicheif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Spanish en la mucha necesidad, se conoce al amigo de verdad
- en la mucha necesidad, se conoce al amigo de verdadif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Swedish i nöden prövas vännen
- i nöden prövas vännenif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Turkish dost kara günde belli olur, iyi dost kara günde belli olur
- dost kara günde belli olurif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- iyi dost kara günde belli olurif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Welsh câr cywir yn yr ing y gwelir, y câr cywir yn yr ing y gwelir
- câr cywir yn yr ing y gwelirif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- y câr cywir yn yr ing y gwelirif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
- y câr dilys ing a'i dengysif a friend helps you when you are in need, they are a true friend
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with a friend in need is a friend indeed
Cite this entry
a friend in need is a friend indeed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20friend%20in%20need%20is%20a%20friend%20indeed
“a friend in need is a friend indeed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20friend%20in%20need%20is%20a%20friend%20indeed. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a friend in need is a friend indeed,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20friend%20in%20need%20is%20a%20friend%20indeed.
Source: a friend in need is a friend indeed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.