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.
These frenemy bundles are likely only at their infancy. Howard Homonoff, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Eve takes the opportunity to shove her frenemy into the branch, impaling her midsection and leaving her to a slow, painful death. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024 But instead, Jisoo goes running to Simon, Catherine’s known frenemy. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 Elsewhere in the clip, Lauren Cohan’s Maggie questions why her frenemy is all of a sudden so keen on resurrecting the Big Apple. Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 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 6 Dec. 2024.

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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