friend zone

noun

variants or less commonly friendzone
: a state of friendship in which one's romantic or sexual interest in someone is not reciprocated
Is it possible to go from friend zone to romance with one of your guy friends if you've only ever been platonic? Ky Henderson
… the teen romance based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling Twilight books about the love triangle between a girl from a broken home, an overprotective vampire who has intimacy issues and an amorous werewolf stuck in the friend zone. Neil Strauss

Examples of friend zone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That will protect the intimate connection and prevent your partner from ending up in the friend zone. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025 Teens want movies and shows to stay in the friend zone. Brent Lang, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of friend zone was in 1994

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Cite this Entry

“Friend zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20zone. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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