Friendship Quotes | 40 Examples & Inspiration

Friends can be some of our steadiest and meaningful relationships. Yet, in a world that often fixates on romantic connections, we don’t always have the language to say how we feel about the impacts our friends have on our lives. That’s where friendship quotes can help.

In this post you’ll find a curated list of friendship quotes from literary greats like Shakespeare and Dickens, as well as funny and lighthearted lines you can send to your bestie for laughs.

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What are friendship quotes?

Friendship quotes speak to the essence of friendship and the qualities that make a good friend. Great friendship quotes are simultaneously personal but also tap into universal truths about this special relationship.

You can find them in poetry, literature, film, and song lyrics. Below is a curated list of some of the very best friendship quotes to share with those you cherish.

Quotes about friendship

These quotes about friendship offer reflections on the mysterious phenomenon of what separates friends from acquaintances or strangers. They also speak to the deep importance friendships have in balancing out other kinds of relationships.

1. “Friends…they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.” —Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and essayist
2. “The capacity for friendship is God’s way of apologizing for our families.” —Jay McInerney, author
3. “Friendship is so weird…you just pick a human you’ve met, and you’re like ‘yep, I like this one.’” —Bill Murray, American actor and comedian
4. “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” ―Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher and writer
5. “There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.” ―P.G. Wodehouse, writer
6. “Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine.” —Charles Dickens, novelist
7. “If you have two friends in your lifetime, you’re lucky. If you have one good friend, you’re more than lucky.” ―S.E. Hinton, writer
8. “Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find.” ―William Shakespeare, playwright
9. “Silence makes the real conversations between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say that counts.” ―Margaret Lee Runbeck, author
10. “Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought that no one but myself.’” ―C.S. Lewis, author

Best friend quotes

Best friend quotes speak to the special category of friendship and gets to the heart of how significant friendships can be in our lives. In fact, for many people, best friends are some of our longest-standing relationships. Share these quotes with your besties to let them know how much they mean to you.

1. “When you’re in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, ‘Damn, that was fun.’” ―Groucho Marx, actor and comedian
2. “Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.” ―Sarah Dessen, novelist
3. “Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies.” ―Richelle Mead, author
4. “Best friend, my well-spring in the wilderness!” —George Eliot, novelist and poet
5. “Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.” —Bill Watterson, cartoonist and author
6. “My best friend is the man who, in wishing me well, wishes it for my sake. —Aristotle, philosopher and polymath
7. “You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn’t depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.” —Trenton Lee Stewart, author
8. “When a woman becomes her own best friend, life is easier.” —Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer
9. Best friends listen to what you don’t say. Samantha Norman
10. “A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest things you can have.” —Sarah Valdez, writer and teacher

Meaningful friendship quotes

Meaningful friendship quotes are perfect for expressing to your friends how much you appreciate them. Just keep your tissue box handy because they’re bound to make you misty eyed!

1. “There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” ―Jane Austen, novelist
2. “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” ―Aristotle, philosopher and polymath
3. “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” ―Muhammad Ali, boxing champion
4. “No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.” ―Alice Walker, novelist and short story writer
5. “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.” ―Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist
6. “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” ―Elie Wiesel, writer and professor
7. “Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?” ―Richard Bach, writer
8. “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” —Henry David Thoreau, essayist and naturalist
9. “Friendship needs no words—it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness.” —Dag Hammarskjöld, economist and former UN Secretary
10. “Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow / Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead / Walk beside me… just be my friend” ―Albert Camus, philosopher and novelist

Short friendship quotes

Sometimes the best friendship quotes are short and sweet. These one-liners capture the essence of friendship in just a few words, and many of them are funny quotes bound to make you laugh. They’re perfect for sharing with friends over text or on social media.

Frequently asked questions about friendship quotes

What are examples of friends and friendship quotes?

Examples of friends and friendship quotes include:

• “Friends…they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.” —Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and essayist
• “Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself.” ―C.S. Lewis, author
• “If you have two friends in your lifetime, you’re lucky. If you have one good friend, you’re more than lucky.” ―S.E. Hinton, writer

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What are quotes on friendship?

Quotes on friendship describe the essence of friendship or the characteristics of what makes a good friend. Some examples include:

• “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” ―Elie Wiesel, writer and professor
• “There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.” ―P.G. Wodehouse, writer
• “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” —Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and essayist

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What are examples of true friendship quotes?

Examples of true friendship quotes include:

• “Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?” ―Richard Bach, writer
• “Friendship needs no words—it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness.” —Dag Hammarskjöld, economist and former UN Secretary
• “There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” ―Jane Austen, writer

Always be sure to cite your favorite friendship quotes correctly. QuillBot’s free Citation Generator makes it easy.

What are some funny friendship quotes?

Examples of funny friendship quotes include:

• “When you’re in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, ‘Damn, that was fun’.” ―Groucho Marx, actor and comedian
• “The capacity for friendship is God’s way of apologizing for our families.” —Jay McInerney, author of The Last of the Savages
• “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer

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