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I've always used "fairweather friend" to describe someone who shirks their responsibilities during tough times. What I'm describing is someone who's not expecte

by strken 4y ago

I've always used "fairweather friend" to describe someone who shirks their responsibilities during tough times. What I'm describing is someone who's not expected to make huge sacrifices for you in the first place: either they're a new friend you're still getting to know, they're an old one you're no longer as close with, or there are other circumstances. I think "distant friend" is a better term for that because it acknowledges the continuum of friendship isn't a binary value. Some are closer, some are further. People move back and forward along it as you and they age and change.

kenhwang 4y ago
Fairweather really doesn't have the best connotation, but yes it's a spectrum like the weather. They're friends that are easy to maintain to upkeep without much commitment or effort. But whether it's by your choice or theirs, the result is the same: they won't be around when it's tough. But if it's by your choice, you'd never know if you didn't ask, sometimes people exceed expectations. In my experience, it doesn't hurt to ask for the favor; people are rarely offended when you consider them a closer friend than they are as.