false friend
noun /ˌfɔːls ˈfrend/
/ˌfɔːls ˈfrend/
- a person who seems to be your friend, but who in fact cannot be trusted
- a word in a foreign language that looks similar to a word in your own language, but has a different meaning
- The English word ‘sensible’ and the French word ‘sensible’ are false friends.
Word Origintranslating French faux ami.