with friends like these, who needs enemies

/ˌwɪθ fɹɛn(d)z laɪk ðiːz ˌhu niːdz ˈɛnəmiːz/

phrase

Indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents.

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Meanings

phrasewith friends like these, who needs enemies?

alternative with friends like these who needs enemies · alternative with friends like those, who needs enemies · alternative with friends like those who needs enemies · alternative with friends like that, who needs enemies

  1. Indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents.

    Three years ago Elaine Noble came out to San Francisco and campaigned against Harvey Milk, at the behest of Foster and David Goodstein. These people now have the gall to take Harvey's name in vain. With "friends" like these, who needs enemies? Hypocrites!

    1979 August 11, John Kyper, “Gay Shame!”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 4, page 5

Origin

The Yale Book of Quotations cites American comedian Joey Adams as the originator of this line.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French avec des amis comme ça, on n'a pas besoin d'ennemis
  • avec des amis comme ça, on n'a pas besoin d'ennemisindicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents
German wer solche Freunde hat, braucht keine Feinde
  • wer solche Freunde hat, braucht keine Feindeindicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents
Portuguese com amigos assim, quem precisa de inimigos
  • com amigos assim, quem precisa de inimigosindicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents
Spanish con amigos así, ¿para qué quieres enemigos?, con amigos así, ¿para qué quiero enemigos?
  • con amigos así, ¿para qué quieres enemigos?indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents
  • con amigos así, ¿para qué quiero enemigos?indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents
Cite this entry
APA

with friends like these, who needs enemies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with%20friends%20like%20these%2C%20who%20needs%20enemies

MLA

“with friends like these, who needs enemies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with%20friends%20like%20these%2C%20who%20needs%20enemies. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “with friends like these, who needs enemies,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with%20friends%20like%20these%2C%20who%20needs%20enemies.

Source: with friends like these, who needs enemies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.