23 Idioms About Fake Friends

Friendship is one of the most valuable aspects of life, but not all friendships are genuine. Fake friends, who pretend to be supportive while secretly being dishonest, manipulative, or untrustworthy, are unfortunately common. Expressing the concept of fake friendships in everyday language can often be tricky, but fortunately, English has a wealth of idioms to help describe these insincere relationships. From “fair-weather friends” to “friends with strings attached,” these idioms offer a way to describe the traits, behaviors, and situations related to fake friends.

In this article, we’ll explore 23 idioms about fake friends, each one providing a different perspective on the deceptive nature of these types of relationships. These idioms will help you express your experiences with fake friends more vividly and creatively.

1. Fair-weather friend

Meaning: A person who is only a friend when things are going well, but disappears when times get tough
In a Sentence:
– “He’s a fair-weather friend; whenever I need help, he’s nowhere to be found.”
– “I’ve learned to keep my distance from fair-weather friends who only show up when things are easy.”
Other Ways to Say: Fair-weather companion / Unreliable friend

2. A wolf in sheep’s clothing

Meaning: A person who appears to be kind and friendly but is actually deceptive or harmful
In a Sentence:
– “Be careful; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be your friend but using you.”
– “She acted so sweet, but she was truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing, causing trouble behind the scenes.”
Other Ways to Say: Deceptive friend / Hidden enemy

3. Backstabber

Meaning: A person who pretends to be a friend but secretly betrays you, often by talking behind your back
In a Sentence:
– “I trusted her with everything, but she turned out to be a backstabber, spreading lies about me.”
– “Be careful; he’s a backstabber and talks badly about you when you’re not around.”
Other Ways to Say: Betrayer / Two-faced friend

4. Two-faced

Meaning: A person who presents a false image of themselves, acting differently to your face and behind your back
In a Sentence:
– “She’s so two-faced, pretending to be nice while saying awful things about me when I’m not there.”
– “I realized he was two-faced, saying one thing to my face and something completely different to others.”
Other Ways to Say: Hypocrite / Deceptive person

5. All talk and no action

Meaning: A person who makes promises or talks about being supportive but never follows through with any real effort
In a Sentence:
– “He’s all talk and no action, always saying he’ll help, but never actually does anything.”
– “She keeps promising to be there for me, but it’s all talk and no action.”
Other Ways to Say: Empty promises / All words, no substance

6. A fair-weather friend

Meaning: A person who only stays around when things are going well but disappears during hard times
In a Sentence:
– “She’s been a fair-weather friend, only showing up when I have something to offer.”
– “I realized he was just a fair-weather friend, nowhere to be found when I was going through a tough time.”
Other Ways to Say: Inconsistent friend / Unreliable

7. Friends with benefits

Meaning: A relationship that is more about convenience or physical interaction rather than genuine friendship
In a Sentence:
– “I thought she was my friend, but it turned out we were just friends with benefits.”
– “He was only interested in being friends with benefits, not a real friend.”
Other Ways to Say: Superficial relationship / Casual friend

8. Using someone as a stepping stone

Meaning: To take advantage of someone for personal gain, often pretending to be a friend to advance your own interests
In a Sentence:
– “She’s just using him as a stepping stone to get ahead in her career.”
– “He’s using everyone as stepping stones, pretending to be friends while taking advantage of them.”
Other Ways to Say: Exploit / Take advantage of

9. Sugar-coated friendship

Meaning: A friendship that appears sweet or genuine on the surface but is ultimately shallow or insincere
In a Sentence:
– “Her sugar-coated friendship was only meant to get me to do her favors.”
– “He acts like he’s my best friend, but it’s a sugar-coated friendship—it’s not real.”
Other Ways to Say: Superficial friendship / Fake kindness

10. A two-faced liar

Meaning: A person who acts friendly or trustworthy to your face but speaks ill of you or deceives you behind your back
In a Sentence:
– “I never expected her to be a two-faced liar, but I heard what she said about me when I wasn’t around.”
– “He’s a two-faced liar, pretending to be my friend but spreading rumors about me.”
Other Ways to Say: Deceptive person / Hypocrite

11. Fair-weather companion

Meaning: A person who only supports you when things are easy, but disappears during difficult moments
In a Sentence:
– “He’s nothing but a fair-weather companion, always disappearing when I need him most.”
– “She was a fair-weather companion, only sticking around when things were fun.”
Other Ways to Say: Unreliable friend / Temporary friend

12. A wolf in sheep’s clothing

Meaning: Someone who pretends to be harmless or kind but is actually deceitful or harmful
In a Sentence:
– “He acted like a good friend, but he was really a wolf in sheep’s clothing, spreading rumors about me.”
– “She fooled us all, but in the end, she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Other Ways to Say: Deceptive friend / Hidden enemy

13. A friend in need is a friend indeed

Meaning: A true friend is someone who helps you during your hard times, not just when things are good
In a Sentence:
– “He stood by me during my illness, proving that a friend in need is a friend indeed.”
– “I realized who my real friends were when I needed them the most. A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Other Ways to Say: True friend / Genuine friendship

14. Cut ties with someone

Meaning: To end a relationship or friendship, especially when it has become toxic or fake
In a Sentence:
– “After all the lies, I decided to cut ties with her once and for all.”
– “He had to cut ties with his former friend after learning about the betrayal.”
Other Ways to Say: Break up with / Sever relations

15. Talk behind someone’s back

Meaning: To speak negatively about someone without their knowledge, often in a harmful or deceitful way
In a Sentence:
– “I can’t trust him anymore; he’s been talking behind my back to others.”
– “She always talks behind my back, pretending to be my friend while spreading rumors.”
Other Ways to Say: Gossip / Betrayal

16. Friends with strings attached

Meaning: A friendship that seems to have conditions or hidden motives, where the friend expects something in return
In a Sentence:
– “He’s not really my friend—he’s just a friend with strings attached, always expecting favors in return.”
– “Be careful with her; her friendship comes with strings attached.”
Other Ways to Say: Conditional friendship / Self-serving friendship

17. Talk the talk but not walk the walk

Meaning: To say you will do something or act a certain way but fail to follow through with your actions
In a Sentence:
– “He keeps saying he supports me, but he talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk when I really need him.”
– “She always promises to help, but she talks the talk and never actually walks the walk.”
Other Ways to Say: Empty promises / All talk, no action

18. A friend of convenience

Meaning: A person who only maintains the relationship because it is beneficial to them or convenient
In a Sentence:
– “She’s just a friend of convenience, only reaching out when she needs something.”
– “He’s a friend of convenience, someone who only calls when he needs help but never offers any in return.”
Other Ways to Say: Self-interested friend / Opportunistic friend

19. A snake in the grass

Meaning: A person who pretends to be friendly but is secretly deceitful or harmful
In a Sentence:
– “She pretended to be my friend, but it turns out she was a snake in the grass all along.”
– “He’s a snake in the grass—watch your back around him.”
Other Ways to Say: Deceptive person / Hidden enemy

20. Wear a mask

Meaning: To hide one’s true feelings or intentions, often in order to deceive others
In a Sentence:
– “He wore a mask of friendliness, but I knew deep down he wasn’t sincere.”
– “She wore a mask for years, pretending to be my friend while gossiping behind my back.”
Other Ways to Say: Pretend / Be insincere

21. Fair-weather companion

Meaning: A person who is only around when things are going well, but disappears when things get tough
In a Sentence:
– “I realized she’s just a fair-weather companion—she wasn’t there for me when I needed help.”
– “He’s a fair-weather companion, always disappearing when things get hard.”
Other Ways to Say: Inconsistent friend / Unreliable companion

22. Put on a front

Meaning: To pretend to be something you’re not, especially to deceive others into thinking you are a friend when you are not
In a Sentence:
– “He’s always putting on a front, acting like he’s your friend when he’s just using you.”
– “She put on a front for years, pretending to care while plotting behind your back.”
Other Ways to Say: Fake / Pretend

23. A friend for the wrong reasons

Meaning: A person who only maintains a friendship because of personal gain or selfish reasons
In a Sentence:
– “I finally realized he was just a friend for the wrong reasons, using me to get ahead.”
– “She’s a friend for the wrong reasons—only reaching out when she needs something.”
Other Ways to Say: Self-serving friend / Opportunistic friend

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:

1. She’s always been __________, only calling when she needs something but disappearing when I need her.
2. He pretends to be a friend, but I know he’s really __________, talking badly about me behind my back.
3. The person who only stays with you when things are easy is just a __________.
4. I can’t trust her anymore—she’s always __________, pretending to be friendly but actually being dishonest.
5. He’s a __________, always acting supportive but never truly following through with actions.
6. After everything that happened, I realized he was just __________, only keeping the friendship for personal gain.
7. When she needed help, he was nowhere to be found—he’s a __________.
8. He’s a __________, always pretending to be my friend while secretly betraying me.
9. I’m tired of dealing with people who are __________, only around when it’s convenient for them.
10. She always acts kind to my face but talks badly about me when I’m not around—she’s a __________.
11. I realized she was just __________, only pretending to care when she wanted something from me.
12. He is not a true friend; he’s just __________, using our friendship for his own advantage.
13. She’s always saying one thing and doing another; she’s __________.
14. I thought we were friends, but he’s really just a __________, pretending to be supportive while talking behind my back.
15. He keeps telling me what I want to hear, but I know he’s __________, being dishonest about his true feelings.
16. They say they’re on my side, but I think they’re just __________, only helping when it benefits them.
17. I had to stop trusting him—he’s a __________, pretending to be nice while working against me.
18. She’s always __________, only showing up when everything is going well for me.
19. I thought I could count on her, but she’s __________, always pretending to be my friend when it’s easy.
20. He kept acting like he had my best interests at heart, but I realized he was __________.
21. She’s always __________, pretending to be caring while secretly competing against me.
22. He used to be my best friend, but now I see he was just __________, only interested in what he could get.
23. She acts like she’s there for me, but I know she’s __________—only in it for her own benefit.

Answer Key

1. A fair-weather companion
2. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
3. A fair-weather friend
4. Two-faced
5. All talk and no action
6. A friend for the wrong reasons
7. A fair-weather friend
8. A snake in the grass
9. Fair-weather friend
10. Backstabber
11. Sugar-coated friendship
12. Using someone as a stepping stone
13. Talk the talk but not walk the walk
14. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
15. Two-faced liar
16. A friend of convenience
17. A snake in the grass
18. Fair-weather companion
19. Fair-weather friend
20. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
21. A friend with strings attached
22. A friend for the wrong reasons
23. A two-faced liar

Conclusion

Fake friends can often deceive us with their false promises, empty words, and manipulative actions. These 23 idioms about fake friends offer insightful and creative ways to describe the many faces of those who pretend to be supportive but lack true sincerity. Whether they are “fair-weather friends” who disappear when times get tough or “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who pretend to care while secretly betraying you, these idioms help us navigate the complexities of relationships.

By understanding and using these idioms, you can more effectively communicate your experiences with fake friends, recognize toxic relationships, and protect yourself from deceitful people. True friendship is based on trust, loyalty, and mutual respect, and these idioms serve as a reminder of what genuine friendship should be.