friend zone

See also: friendzone and friend-zone

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Popularized by a 1994 episode of the American sitcom Friends.[1]

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfɹɛnd zəʊn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈfɹɛnd zoʊn/
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun

friend zone (plural friend zones)

  1. (slang) The situation in which one is viewed by a potential partner as a platonic friend, which complicates the initiation of a romantic relationship.
    • 1996, Chris Rock: Bring the Pain, Chris Rock (actor):
      Every platonic friend I got is some woman I was tryin' to fuck, I made a wrong turn somewhere, and ended up in the friend zone.
    • 2005, Terry Dennis, The Manual:
      Once in a while, you will find yourself stuck in the friend zone. Don't panic, you are not alone.
    • 2007, Helen Salter, Does Snogging Count as Exercise?:
      “Stuck in the Friend Zone,” said Sasha wisely, although I don't think she's dipped a toe in the Friend Zone in her life.

Coordinate terms

Descendants
  • → Italian: friendzone

Translations

Verb

friend zone (third-person singular simple present friend zones, present participle friend zoning, simple past and past participle friend zoned)

  1. (slang, transitive) To classify as a friend, without any possibility of a romantic relationship.
    • 2015, Wendy Higgins, chapter 1, in Sweet Temptation, HarperCollins, →ISBN:
      The bloke tries to get her attention back, but I've friendzoned him. Poor guy. I do feel bad for the ones who have to try so hard.
    • 2019, Ira Trivedi, Sachin Bhatia, chapter 1, in The Desi Guide to Dating, Harper Collins, →ISBN:
      While being friendzoned is not a problem, what can be a problem is if it's not clear to both people that ONLY friendship and nothing more is on offer.

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

See also

References
  1. Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani (1994 November), “The One with the Blackout”, in Friends, season 1, episode 7 (television production): “It's never gonna happen. […] Because you waited too long to make your move, and now you're in the friend zone.”

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English friend zone.

Noun

friend zone f (invariable)

  1. Alternative spelling of friendzone
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