friend zone

noun

variants or less commonly friendzone
: a state of friendship in which one's romantic or sexual interest in someone is not reciprocated
Is it possible to go from friend zone to romance with one of your guy friends if you've only ever been platonic?Ky Henderson
… the teen romance based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling Twilight books about the love triangle between a girl from a broken home, an overprotective vampire who has intimacy issues and an amorous werewolf stuck in the friend zone.Neil Strauss

Examples of friend zone 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.
Weiland has affection for him yet keeps him strictly in the friend zone. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025 Affairs of the heart don’t come easy to her, but her abilities to friend zone Laurie is at peak levels. David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2025 The friend zone trope suggests that the lovelorn are trapped in the cold shadow of platonic feelings. Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025 That will protect the intimate connection and prevent your partner from ending up in the friend zone. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025 Teens want movies and shows to stay in the friend zone. Brent Lang, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024 As tumultuous as his romantic life may have been, the friend zone was rock solid for the firefighter, with Eddie welcoming the news that Buck (Oliver Stark) is dating their friend Tommy (Lou Ferigno Jr.). Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024 Our inescapable conclusion is that the target of this pitch is being snowed by an acquaintance hoping to climb out of the friend zone for a bout of hanky-panky before moving on. Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024 Natalie and Collins are still not touching each other and are firmly in the friend zone. Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 5 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of friend zone was in 1994

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Friend zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20zone. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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