make friends

/meɪk fɹɛn(d)z/

verb

To form friendships with others.

“Sara and I made friends right away.”

Similar
befriend
OriginMiddle English maken frendes →
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Meanings

verbmake friends (third-person singular simple present makes friends, present participle making friends, simple past and past participle made friends)

present singular third person makes friends · participle present making friends · participle past made friends · past made friends

  1. intransitiveTo form friendships with others.

    He hasn't made friends easily at his new school.

  2. To befriend.

    Sara and I made friends right away.

    2 more examples

    He made friends with his new neighbour.

    I tried to be a friend to Jane but we never really made friends. She was never a friend to me.

    Synonyms: befriend

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo befriend.

Similar
befriend
Also see
chum up

Origin

  1. Middle Englishmaken frendes
  2. Englishmake friends

From Middle English maken frendes, equivalent to make + friends.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic صَادَقَ
  • صَادَقَ (ṣādaqa)to befriend, to become closer
Bulgarian създа́вам прия́телства, създа́м прия́телства
  • създа́вам прия́телства (săzdávam prijátelstva)to create friendships
  • създа́м прия́телства (săzdám prijátelstva)to create friendships
  • сприятеля́вам се (sprijateljávam se)to befriend, to become closer
  • сприятеля́ се (sprijateljá se)to befriend, to become closer
Chinese Mandarin 結交 /结交, 交友
  • 結交 /结交 (jiéjiāo)to create friendships
  • 交友 (jiāoyǒu)to create friendships
  • 交朋友 (jiāo péngyǒu)to create friendships
  • 交朋友 (jiāo péngyǒu)to befriend, to become closer
  • 成朋友 (chéng péngyǒu)to befriend, to become closer
Czech spřátelit se
  • spřátelit seto create friendships
Dutch bevriend raken
  • bevriend rakento create friendships
Esperanto amikiĝi
  • amikiĝito befriend, to become closer
Estonian sõbrunema
  • sõbrunemato create friendships
Finnish saada ystäviä, ystävystyä
  • saada ystäviäto create friendships
  • ystävystyäto befriend, to become closer
French se faire des amis, se lier d'amitié
  • se faire des amisto create friendships
  • se lier d'amitiéto create friendships
  • se lier d'amitiéto befriend, to become closer
German Freunde finden, sich anfreunden
  • Freunde findento create friendships
  • sich anfreundento create friendships
  • sich anfreundento befriend, to become closer
Hungarian barátkozik, barátokat szerez/talál
  • barátkozikto create friendships
  • barátokat szerez/találto create friendships
  • barátságokat kötto create friendships
  • összebarátkozikto befriend, to become closer
  • barátságot kötto befriend, to become closer
Irish déan cairdeas
  • déan cairdeasto create friendships
Italian fare amicizia, fare amicizia
  • fare amiciziato create friendships
  • fare amiciziato befriend, to become closer
Japanese 友達になる, 味方になる
  • 友達になる (tomodachi ni naru)to create friendships
  • 味方になる (mikata ni naru)to create friendships
  • 仲よくなる (nakayoku naru)to befriend, to become closer
  • 親しむ (shitashimu)to befriend, to become closer
Korean 친구를 사귀다
  • 친구를 사귀다 (chin'gureul sagwida)to create friendships
Latin amīcum parāre, amīcam parāre
  • amīcum parāreto create friendships
  • amīcam parāreto create friendships
  • amīcōs parāreto create friendships
Māori whakahoa, tauhoa
  • whakahoato create friendships
  • tauhoato create friendships
  • takahoato befriend, to become closer
Polish zaprzyjaźniać się, zaprzyjaźnić się
  • zaprzyjaźniać sięto create friendships
  • zaprzyjaźnić sięto create friendships
  • zaprzyjaźniać sięto befriend, to become closer
  • zaprzyjaźnić sięto befriend, to become closer
Portuguese fazer amigos
  • fazer amigosto create friendships
Romanian a se împrieteni cu, a se împrieteni
  • a se împrieteni cuto create friendships
  • a se împrietenito befriend, to become closer
Russian подружи́ться, дружи́ть
  • подружи́ться (podružítʹsja)to create friendships
  • дружи́ть (družítʹ)to create friendships
  • сдружи́ться (sdružítʹsja)to create friendships
  • подружи́ться (podružítʹsja)to befriend, to become closer
  • сдружи́ться (sdružítʹsja)to befriend, to become closer
  • сбли́зиться (sblízitʹsja)to befriend, to become closer
Slovak spriateliť sa
  • spriateliť sato create friendships
Spanish hacer amigos, entablar / trabar amistades
  • hacer amigosto create friendships
  • entablar / trabar amistadesto create friendships
  • hacerse amigosto befriend, to become closer
  • hacerse amigo deto befriend, to become closer
  • entablar / trabar amistad conto befriend, to become closer
Swahili unda urafiki
  • unda urafikito create friendships
Tamil நட்புவை, பழகு
  • நட்புவை (naṭpuvai)to create friendships
  • பழகு (paḻaku)to befriend, to become closer
Turkish arkadaş edinmek, arkadaş olmak
  • arkadaş edinmekto create friendships
  • arkadaş olmakto befriend, to become closer
Ukrainian подружи́тися, здружи́тися
  • подружи́тися (podružýtysja)to create friendships
  • здружи́тися (združýtysja)to create friendships
  • подружи́ти (podružýty)to create friendships
  • заприятелюва́ти (zapryjateljuváty)to create friendships
  • поприятелюва́ти (popryjateljuváty)to create friendships
  • заприязни́тися (zapryjaznýtysja)to create friendships
  • затоваришува́ти (zatovaryšuváty)to create friendships
Vietnamese kết bạn
  • kết bạnto create friendships
Cite this entry
APA

make friends. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20friends

MLA

“make friends.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20friends. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make friends,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20friends.

Source: make friends on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.