noun
- a person who appears to be a friend but whose actions or words suggest they are actually an enemy or rival
Usage: informal; often used in social contexts to describe someone who is outwardly friendly but behaves in a hostile or competitive manner
Examples
- She smiled and complimented my work, but I knew she was a frenemy who wanted my promotion.
- My coworker acts friendly in meetings but spreads rumors about me—a classic frenemy.
- I finally unfollowed my frenemy on social media because her passive-aggressive comments were exhausting.
- He's been my frenemy since college; we hang out, but he's always trying to one-up me.
- Frenemies are harder to deal with than outright enemies because you never know where you stand with them.
- She invited me to her party, but I suspect she's just a frenemy looking to gather gossip.