Definition of bedfellow
1 : one who shares a bed with another
2 : a person or thing closely associated with another : ally political bedfellows —often used in the phrase strange bedfellows to describe an unlikely alliance of people or thingsPolitics indeed makes strange bedfellows and on the issue of local regulation of pesticides, environmental and states' rights advocates have joined forces.— Elena S. RutrickPolities and good architecture are strange bedfellows, but in Barcelona the marriage has worked.— Cathleen McGuigan
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quizWords of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quizHow Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quizPlay the game
Share bedfellow
Time Traveler for bedfellow
The first known use of bedfellow was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century