just a friend
idiom
: a friend with whom one is not in a romantic relationship when one might possibly be
Sara and Joe say they are just friends.
Examples of just a friend in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The alleged man in the middle who’s supposed to be just a friend.
—
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 1 June 2025
Their favorite person can be anyone who spends time with them, their walker, their grandma, or even just a friend.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Harry suggests that Elys is just a friend, which leads to a very tense breakup once that info trickles down.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 June 2024
After learning in the first season that his (living but now deceased) wife cheated on him with his best friend, Pete’s attempts to get Alberta to see him as more than just a friend have fallen flat — at least for now.
—Max Gao, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Brittney, who was just a friend at the time of the accident, was a constant support system for him.
—Susan Young, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2023
And Douglass was no longer just a friend of the family.
—Nora Mathison, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023
It’s implied that most of these subjects regarded Vogt as just a friend with a hobby, on the fringes at family-and-friends gatherings.
—Vulture, 27 May 2023
It’s implied that most of these subjects regarded Vogt as just a friend with a hobby, on the fringes at family-and-friends gatherings.
—Vulture, 27 May 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Shelby Stewart, Essence, 1 June 2025
Their favorite person can be anyone who spends time with them, their walker, their grandma, or even just a friend.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Harry suggests that Elys is just a friend, which leads to a very tense breakup once that info trickles down.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 June 2024
After learning in the first season that his (living but now deceased) wife cheated on him with his best friend, Pete’s attempts to get Alberta to see him as more than just a friend have fallen flat — at least for now.
—Max Gao, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Brittney, who was just a friend at the time of the accident, was a constant support system for him.
—Susan Young, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2023
And Douglass was no longer just a friend of the family.
—Nora Mathison, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023
It’s implied that most of these subjects regarded Vogt as just a friend with a hobby, on the fringes at family-and-friends gatherings.
—Vulture, 27 May 2023
It’s implied that most of these subjects regarded Vogt as just a friend with a hobby, on the fringes at family-and-friends gatherings.
—Vulture, 27 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Just a friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just%20a%20friend. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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