Meaning of Fair-Weather Friend
A fair-weather friend is a friend who is with you during the good times but abandons you when things go wrong. In other words, it is the kind of friend who cannot be relied upon during bad times or a crisis.
This idiom can also have an extended meaning, referring to a friend who seems enthusiastic about being friends with you, but soon grows distracted by another person or interest.
Sentence Examples
“I just got kicked out of my apartment and have no way to move my stuff,” said Jeff. “Why don’t you get Greg to help you with his pickup truck?” replied Janet. “No use,” said Jeff, “he’s a fair-weather friend.”
“I thought he was a great friend but he’s really just a fair-weather friend. He didn’t even call or visit when I was in the hospital.”
“I’m not like those so-called fair-weather friends of yours. You can believe in me.” — Jungle Book (1942)
“Most of her friends abandoned her, of course. I’m not a fair-weather friend.” — Brimstone & Treacle (1982)
“Had a host of fair-weather friends, of course. But there were only three who had his best interests at heart.” — The Wind in the Willows (1949)
“I just have this idea that you only talk to me when everything goes wrong but you save the fun parts for everybody else. You’re like the opposite of a fair-weather friend.” — Everwood: Snow Job (2003)
“John’s problem was his difficulty in believing that anyone would ever be more than a fair-weather friend. So he relied on blackmail and extortion, threats to the barons rather than promises.” — A History of Britain: Dynasty (2000)
Origin of Fair-Weather Friend
Fair weather refers to mild weather, so the idiom alludes to a friend who can be relied upon when the weather is good but abandons you when the weather turns stormy. There is a related sailing expression, the fair-weather sailor. A real sailor sails all the time and can handle things even in stormy seas. A fair-weather sailor is a recreational sailor who only sails during calm sunny weather, and cannot be relied upon when the weather turns.
Such sailors would blame the weather if they had an accident, when, in fact, it was their own poor skill. Similarly, a fair-weather friend might blame circumstances, when the cause of their inattention or abandonment is their own character. Just as the idiom describes a character flaw, so did “fair-weather” sailor refer to more than just a lack of skill.