Having fake friends can be tricky, and it is important to recognize them in our lives. Fake friends may seem nice at first, but they often don’t support you when you need it the most. Sometimes, they act kind or friendly but don’t truly care about your feelings or wellbeing. This can make friendships confusing and hurtful. Understanding how to spot fake friends can help protect you from disappointment.
In this article, we will talk about different idioms that refer to fake friends. These phrases are used to describe people who pretend to be your friends but may not have your best interests at heart. By learning these idioms, you can better understand how to talk about fake friendships and protect yourself in the future. Let’s explore these idioms together and see how they can help describe tricky situations in friendships.
Idioms about Fake Friends
1. Two-faced
Meaning: Someone who acts friendly but talks badly behind your back.
Example: She’s nice to me at school but two-faced when she’s with others. / Don’t trust him, he’s two-faced.
Put Differently: Pretends to be kind but is not. / Says one thing to you and another to others.
2. Snake in the grass
Meaning: A sneaky person who hides their bad intentions.
Example: I thought he was my friend, but he’s a snake in the grass. / Watch out, that girl is a snake in the grass.
Put Differently: Pretends to be harmless but is not. / Hides mean behavior until the right time.
3. Fair-weather friend
Meaning: A friend who is around only when life is good.
Example: He stopped calling when I needed help — just a fair-weather friend. / She’s only here for the fun, a fair-weather friend.
Put Differently: A friend for good times only. / Disappears when things get hard.
4. Stab in the back
Meaning: To betray someone who trusted you.
Example: Telling my secret was a stab in the back. / I helped him, and he stabbed me in the back.
Put Differently: Hurt someone who trusted you. / Break trust by being disloyal.
5. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who hides their bad nature by acting nice.
Example: He seems kind, but he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. / That friendly classmate turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Put Differently: Pretends to be gentle but is harmful. / Acts nice to hide bad intentions.
6. Talk behind your back
Meaning: Say mean things about someone when they aren’t there.
Example: They talk behind my back at lunch. / Don’t trust people who talk behind your back.
Put Differently: Gossip about you secretly. / Say unkind things without you knowing.
7. Cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone on purpose.
Example: She gave me the cold shoulder after the argument. / He’s been giving me the cold shoulder all week.
Put Differently: Refuse to talk to someone. / Ignore someone to show dislike.
8. Throw under the bus
Meaning: To blame or harm a friend to protect yourself.
Example: He threw me under the bus to avoid trouble. / She threw her friend under the bus to look good.
Put Differently: Hurt a friend to save yourself. / Let someone take the blame instead of you.
9. Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth
Meaning: Someone who looks innocent but can be mean.
Example: She acts sweet, but butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. / Don’t be fooled butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
Put Differently: Pretends to be perfect. / Looks harmless but isn’t.
10. Judas kiss
Meaning: A kind act that hides betrayal.
Example: Her compliment felt like a Judas kiss. / Inviting me over was just a Judas kiss.
Put Differently: Pretends to be nice while planning to hurt you. / Fake kindness before betrayal.
11. Backstabber
Meaning: A person who betrays a friend secretly.
Example: He’s a backstabber who lies to the teacher. / That backstabber told my secret.
Put Differently: Friend who secretly hurts you. / Someone who betrays your trust.
12. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Meaning: Stay near to people who might harm you so you can watch them.
Example: I sit with her to keep my enemies closer. / Keep your friends close and your enemies closer at school.
Put Differently: Stay aware of those who might hurt you. / Watch potential enemies closely.
13. Gossip monger
Meaning: A person who loves spreading rumors.
Example: She’s a gossip monger who tells everyone’s secrets. / Don’t tell a gossip monger anything.
Put Differently: Loves telling rumors. / Can’t keep secrets.
14. Turncoat
Meaning: Someone who changes sides to benefit themselves.
Example: He was my friend, then a turncoat when I lost. / She’s a turncoat who joined the other team.
Put Differently: Switches sides for gain. / Leaves you for the winning side.
15. Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Example: He spilled the beans about my surprise. / She spilled the beans to the teacher.
Put Differently: Told something meant to be private. / Shared a secret too soon.
16. Fair words, foul deeds
Meaning: Saying nice things but acting badly.
Example: His fair words, foul deeds showed his real side. / She talks sweet but does wrong fair words, foul deeds.
Put Differently: Kind words, unkind actions. / Nice talk, mean behavior.
17. Empty suit
Meaning: Someone who looks important but has no real loyalty or value.
Example: He’s an empty suit all talk, no real help. / That empty suit never stood up for me.
Put Differently: Seems useful but isn’t. / Pretends to be supportive but isn’t.
18. Speak with a forked tongue
Meaning: To lie or say two different things to different people.
Example: She speaks with a forked tongue to keep friends on both sides. / He speaks with a forked tongue to avoid trouble.
Put Differently: Says different things to different people. / Lies to please both sides.
19. Use you as a stepping stone
Meaning: Be friends only to move ahead.
Example: He used me as a stepping stone to join the team. / She used him as a stepping stone to get popular.
Put Differently: Befriends you only to gain something. / Pretends to like you for personal gain.
20. Plastic smile
Meaning: A fake, forced smile.
Example: She gave me a plastic smile in the hallway. / His plastic smile showed he didn’t mean it.
Put Differently: Fake smile. / Smiling without feeling happy.
21. Play both sides
Meaning: Act friendly with two groups who don’t like each other.
Example: He plays both sides to avoid choosing. / She’s playing both sides to stay safe.
Put Differently: Pretend to agree with both groups. / Avoid choosing by pleasing everyone.
22. Sell you out
Meaning: Give away your secrets or betray you for benefit.
Example: He sold me out for a better spot on the team. / She sold me out for attention.
Put Differently: Betray for gain. / Share your secrets for personal benefit.
23. Sunshine friend
Meaning: A friend who is only there during happy times.
Example: She’s a sunshine friend, gone when it rains. / He’s only around for fun, a sunshine friend.
Put Differently: Good-time friend. / Not there when things are bad.
24. Brown-noser
Meaning: Someone who pretends to like someone just to get favors.
Example: He’s a brown-noser to the teacher. / She brown-noses the coach to get picked.
Put Differently: Pretends to be nice for rewards. / Acts friendly for personal gain.
25. Show true colors
Meaning: Reveal the real, often bad, character.
Example: She showed her true colors after the fight. / He showed his true colors by lying.
Put Differently: Act in a way that shows who you really are. / Reveal true personality.
26. Burn bridges
Meaning: Ruin a friendship or connection.
Example: He burned bridges by spreading lies. / She burned bridges after quitting the club.
Put Differently: Destroy relationships. / End ties with people.
27. Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
Meaning: Pretend to support both sides in a conflict.
Example: She runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds. / He acts friendly to both sides.
Put Differently: Tries to please both groups at once. / Pretends to agree with everyone.
28. Fair-weather smile
Meaning: Smile only when things are going well.
Example: He gives me a fair-weather smile when I win. / She had a fair-weather smile during the party.
Put Differently: Smiles only during happy moments. / Fake cheer when times are good.
29. Pull the rug out from under
Meaning: Take away support suddenly.
Example: She pulled the rug out from under me by quitting the project. / He pulled the rug out from under my plan.
Put Differently: Remove help without warning. / Suddenly stop supporting.
30. Cherry-pick friendship
Meaning: Choose only parts of friendship that benefit you.
Example: He cherry-picks friendship for homework help. / She cherry-picks friendship for rides.
Put Differently: Only be friends for benefits. / Take what’s useful and leave the rest.
31. Talk out of both sides of your mouth
Meaning: Say two different things to different people.
Example: She talks out of both sides of her mouth to keep friends. / He talks out of both sides to avoid trouble.
Put Differently: Give different stories to different people. / Be dishonest in conversation.
32. Kick someone when they’re down
Meaning: Treat someone badly when they are already struggling.
Example: He kicked me when I was down by laughing at my loss. / She kicked me when I was down during the game.
Put Differently: Make things worse for someone already having a hard time. / Hurt someone when they are weak.
33. Shadow friend
Meaning: Only follows you when others are around.
Example: He’s a shadow friend in the lunchroom. / She’s just a shadow friend at parties.
Put Differently: Pretends to be your friend in public. / Only friendly when people are watching.
34. String you along
Meaning: Pretend to care to keep you around.
Example: She strings me along with fake promises. / He strings people along for attention.
Put Differently: Pretend to care without real feelings. / Keep someone hoping for more.
35. Smile to your face, cut you behind your back
Meaning: Pretend to be nice but betray you later.
Example: She smiles to my face and cuts me behind my back. / He does that to everyone.
Put Differently: Nice in person but mean when you’re not there. / Fake kindness followed by betrayal.
36. Deadweight friend
Meaning: A friend who only takes and never helps.
Example: He’s a deadweight friend in group projects. / She’s a deadweight friend at practice.
Put Differently: Someone who makes you do all the work. / Adds no value to friendship.
37. Play you like a fiddle
Meaning: Trick you into doing what they want.
Example: He played me like a fiddle into doing his chores. / She plays people like fiddles.
Put Differently: Control someone through tricks. / Make someone do what you want.
38. Cloud with no rain
Meaning: Someone who promises a lot but delivers nothing.
Example: He’s a cloud with no rain when help is needed. / She’s a cloud with no rain at games.
Put Differently: Makes promises but never helps. / Talks big but does nothing.
39. Borrowed friend
Meaning: Pretend to be your friend to get closer to someone else.
Example: She’s a borrowed friend for my cousin. / He’s a borrowed friend to meet the coach.
Put Differently: Fake friendship to reach another person. / Uses you to meet someone else.
40. Smile like a Cheshire cat
Meaning: Smile in a sly, secretive way.
Example: She smiled like a Cheshire cat after starting trouble. / He smiled like a Cheshire cat when I got in trouble.
Put Differently: Smile as if you know a secret. / Grin after causing trouble.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for Fake Friends
Below are 10 sentences that describe situations or feelings about friendships. These sentences do not use idioms. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms for fake friends that you’ve learned. Make sure the new sentence still makes sense and sounds natural.
Sentences to Rewrite
- Sara only calls when she wants something from me, but she doesn’t care about me otherwise.
- James acts like my friend when everything is good, but he disappears when I’m upset.
- Rachel always says nice things to me, but I hear her saying bad things about me to others.
- Tim pretends to be my friend, but he never helps me when I’m in trouble.
- My friend, Anna, always takes from me but never gives anything in return.
- Ben only pays attention to me when I’m winning at sports, but ignores me when I lose.
- Jane tells me she likes the same things as me, but I know she’s just pretending.
- Mike is always around when I have snacks, but he never spends time with me any other time.
- Rachel always says she’ll help me, but she forgets every time.
- Steven is only nice to me when he wants to copy my homework.
Answer Key
- Sara is just a user. She only calls when she needs something.
- James is a fair weather friend. He only stays around when things are good.
- Rachel is twofaced. She says nice things to me but talks badly about me to others.
- Tim is a pretender. He acts like my friend but never helps when I need him.
- Anna is a taker. She always takes from me but never gives anything back.
- Ben is a fair weather friend. He only pays attention to me when I’m winning.
- Jane is a phony. She pretends to like the same things but doesn’t really care.
- Mike is a phantom friend. He only hangs out with me when I have snacks.
- Rachel is an unreliable friend. She always says she’ll help but forgets every time.
- Steven is a user. He’s only nice to me when he wants to copy my homework.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding idioms related to fake friends helps us see the signs of people who may not be true friends. These idioms give us a way to talk about the feelings and experiences we have with people who pretend to care but really don’t. It’s important to know how to spot these types of friends so we can protect ourselves and make sure we surround ourselves with people who truly care. By practicing these idioms, you can better express your thoughts and understand situations that might involve fake friendships. Always remember that real friends are supportive, trustworthy, and there for you, whether things are going well or not.
