unfriend

English

Alternative forms

• un-friend

Etymology

From Middle English unfreend, onfrend, equivalent to un- +‎ friend. Cognate with Scots unfrend (“unfriend”). Compare Old English unfriþmann, unwine.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛnd
• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈfɹɛnd/

Noun

unfriend (plural unfriends)

1. One who is not a friend; an enemy.
   • 1822, Scott, Nigel:

     Ye have back-friends, my lord, that is, un-friends, or to be plain, enemies.

   • 1916, William Edwin Chilton, John Downey Works, Fiscal relation between the United States and the District of Columbia

     Thus many unfriends and some friends of the Capital agree upon the same policy with diverse and contradictory motives […]

   • 1999, Kees Waaijman, John Vriend, The mystical space of Carmel:

     The unfriend betrays me, ignores me, denies me, breaks me down; the unfriend is against and tries to devour my personhood.

Synonyms

• backfriend

Verb

unfriend (third-person singular simple present unfriends, present participle unfriending, simple past and past participle unfriended)

1. (rare) To sever as friends.
   • 1659, Thomas Fuller, The Appeal of Injured Innocence:

     "I hope, sir, that we are not mutually Unfriended by this Difference which hath happened betwixt us."

2. (Internet) To defriend; to remove from one's friends list (e.g. on a social networking website).
   • 2007, Mia Consalvo, Caroline Haythornthwaite, Internet Research Annual: Volume 4

     "I asked her why, she said it was because I didn't comment, and I shrugged and said whatever. I didn't unfriend her."

   • 2013, Nils Smith, Social Media Guide for Ministry: What It Is and How to Use It:

     Without unfriending someone, you can now choose to limit or block (unsubscribe) someone from your newsfeed or choose to see only what Facebook deems as very important.

Synonyms

• defriend

Antonyms

• friend
• befriend

Translations

to remove from one's friends list

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: ontvrienden (nl)
• Finnish: poistaa kavereista
• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: entfreunden
• Hebrew: please add this translation if you can
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: ta bort som vän
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

• reinfund