fairweather
C1Informal, Figurative
Definition
Meaning
relating to or present only during favorable conditions, especially used to describe a person who is friendly or supportive only when it is easy or advantageous.
Can describe objects or systems that are only suitable for favorable conditions (e.g., a fairweather boat). The primary metaphorical extension applies to relationships, loyalty, and commitment.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as an adjective in the compound noun 'fairweather friend'. It has a strong negative connotation, implying unreliability, superficiality, and opportunism. The 'fair' in 'fairweather' means 'favorable' or 'good', not 'just' or 'equitable'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. The spelling 'fair-weather' with a hyphen is common in formal writing in both varieties; the solid 'fairweather' is more informal.
Connotations
Identically negative in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English corpora, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
attributive adjective + nounVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fairweather friend”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used formally. Might appear in commentary on corporate culture: 'The company's fairweather investors sold their shares at the first sign of trouble.'
Academic
Used in social psychology and sociology to describe conditional social support.
Everyday
Common in personal contexts to criticize unreliable friendships or superficial support.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- He was accused of being a fairweather supporter, disappearing whenever the team had a losing streak.
- They're fairweather cyclists, only venturing out on dry, sunny weekends.
American English
- She realized her fairweather friends vanished as soon as she lost her job.
- It's a fairweather convertible, completely impractical for the winter months.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- When I had no money, my fairweather friends were not there.
- The politician's fairweather allies quickly distanced themselves from the scandal.
- The club has a core of dedicated members, plus a lot of fairweather participants who come and go.
- Her commitment to the environmental cause proved to be fairweather, evaporating once it required personal sacrifice.
- The analysis highlighted the fairweather nature of the international coalition, held together only by short-term interests.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a friend who only wants to go out when the sun is shining ('fair weather'), but is never there when it's raining. Their friendship is as conditional as the weather.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOYALTY/SUPPORT IS WEATHER. Fairweather friend maps the instability and changeability of weather onto the inconstancy of a person's loyalty.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translations like 'справедливая погода' or 'честная погода'. The correct conceptual equivalent is 'друг на час' (friend for an hour), 'друг по случаю' (friend for the occasion), or 'ненадёжный/случайный друг'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a standalone noun (*'He is a fairweather.'). It is almost always an adjective modifying a noun like 'friend'.
- Confusing it with the unrelated adjective 'fair' meaning just or equitable.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of a 'fairweather friend'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is exclusively negative, implying unreliability and a lack of genuine commitment.
In modern usage, it is commonly written as one word ('fairweather'), especially informally. The hyphenated form ('fair-weather') is also correct and preferred in some formal writing styles.
Primarily, yes. Its core use is in 'fairweather friend/supporter/fan'. It can be extended metaphorically to objects or systems that are only usable in favorable conditions (e.g., a fairweather road, a fairweather boat).
A 'true friend', a 'loyal friend', a 'friend through thick and thin', or a 'steadfast friend'.