Friendship is one of the most valuable relationships we have, but not all friendships are genuine. Some people may seem friendly but are actually fake, only pretending to be your friend for personal gain. The idea of a fake friend is often expressed through metaphors, which describe their behavior in a more vivid and powerful way.
Metaphors about fake friends help us understand how these relationships work and how they can affect us. Instead of just saying “someone is a fake friend,” we can use metaphors like “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” or “a snake in the grass” to describe their true nature. In this article, we’ll explore 40 metaphors about fake friends and what they reveal about betrayal, deception, and hurt in friendships.
Metaphors about Fake Friends
1. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: A person who pretends to be harmless but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
Samples: She acted like my friend, but she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to care when she didn’t. / His charming personality was just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
To Put it Another Way: A disguise for deceit. / Someone pretending to be good but is not.
2. A snake in the grass
Meaning: Someone who is sneaky and hides their true intentions.
Samples: He was a snake in the grass, acting like he supported me but secretly plotting against me. / You can’t trust her; she’s a snake in the grass.
To Put it Another Way: Deceptive and hidden. / Someone who betrays secretly.
3. A fair-weather friend
Meaning: A friend who is only there when things are going well, but disappears when things get tough.
Samples: When I needed help the most, she turned out to be a fair-weather friend. / He was a fair-weather friend, always around during the fun times but absent in hard times.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who leaves in tough times. / Only supportive in easy situations.
4. A two-faced friend
Meaning: A person who behaves differently in different situations or to different people, often pretending to be your friend while secretly speaking against you.
Samples: I thought he was my best friend, but he turned out to be a two-faced friend, talking behind my back. / She’s a two-faced friend who acts sweet to your face but betrays you in private.
To Put it Another Way: Hypocritical behavior. / Acting differently based on the audience.
5. A chameleon
Meaning: Someone who changes their personality or behavior to blend in with whoever they are around.
Samples: She’s like a chameleon, always adapting to whoever she’s with, pretending to be a friend to everyone. / He’s just a chameleon, pretending to be on my side when he’s actually not.
To Put it Another Way: Changing personality to fit in. / A fake friend who copies others.
6. A backstabber
Meaning: Someone who betrays you after pretending to be a friend.
Samples: He was a backstabber, pretending to be loyal while spreading lies behind my back. / Trusting her was a mistake; she was a backstabber.
To Put it Another Way: Betrayal in secret. / Someone who harms you after gaining your trust.
7. A wolf disguised as a dog
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be a harmless friend but actually has ill intentions.
Samples: He was a wolf disguised as a dog, pretending to be my friend but using me for his own benefit. / She was just a wolf disguised as a dog, taking advantage of my trust.
To Put it Another Way: Pretending to be friendly. / Hiding true malicious intent.
8. A shadow friend
Meaning: A person who is only there when it benefits them and disappears when you need them.
Samples: She was a shadow friend, only showing up when it was convenient for her. / He’s a shadow friend, always vanishing when I need real support.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who is never truly there. / Someone who is around only when needed.
9. A two-faced liar
Meaning: A person who tells lies while pretending to be your friend.
Samples: She’s a two-faced liar, telling everyone else one thing while deceiving me. / You can’t trust him he’s a two-faced liar.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who deceives. / A friend who is untrustworthy.
10. A user
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be a friend but is really just using you for their benefit.
Samples: She was a user, always asking for favors and never giving anything in return. / He’s just a user, pretending to be your friend to get what he wants.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who takes advantage. / A friend who only uses you.
11. A snake oil salesman
Meaning: A person who deceives you with fake promises, pretending to be a friend.
Samples: He’s a snake oil salesman, promising loyalty while scheming behind my back. / She was a snake oil salesman, telling me what I wanted to hear to manipulate me.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who deceives. / A false friend with fake promises.
12. A rat in the ranks
Meaning: A person who betrays others from within a group, often secretly working against them.
Samples: He was the rat in the ranks, spreading rumors and betraying everyone’s trust. / She was the rat in the ranks, secretly undermining the team.
To Put it Another Way: An insider betrayer. / Someone working against you secretly.
13. A smile with a knife behind it
Meaning: A person who pretends to be friendly but has malicious intentions.
Samples: She greeted me with a smile but had a knife behind it, planning to ruin my reputation. / His smile with a knife behind it made me realize he wasn’t truly my friend.
To Put it Another Way: A friendly appearance with bad intentions. / A deceptive smile.
14. A Trojan horse
Meaning: A person who hides their true intentions, appearing friendly or helpful to gain trust.
Samples: He came into my life like a Trojan horse, pretending to be a friend while planning to hurt me. / She was a Trojan horse, looking like a friend but causing chaos from the inside.
To Put it Another Way: An infiltrator. / A hidden enemy disguised as a friend.
15. A ticking time bomb
Meaning: A person who seems harmless but is capable of causing major trouble at any moment.
Samples: She was a ticking time bomb, always holding grudges and ready to explode when I least expected it. / He’s a ticking time bomb, pretending to be calm but ready to betray you.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who can explode. / Someone who can cause damage at any time.
16. A smoke screen
Meaning: A person who hides their true intentions by pretending to be something they’re not.
Samples: He’s just a smoke screen, pretending to be my friend but hiding his true intentions. / Her friendship was a smoke screen, masking her selfish plans.
To Put it Another Way: A disguise for betrayal. / Hiding real motives.
17. A pawn
Meaning: Someone who uses you to achieve their own goals, often without caring about your needs.
Samples: He used me like a pawn, pretending to be my friend while manipulating me for his gain. / She treated me like a pawn, using me to get ahead in the company.
To Put it Another Way: Being used. / A person who takes advantage of you.
18. A puppet master
Meaning: A person who controls or manipulates others, pretending to be a friend while pulling strings.
Samples: She was a puppet master, controlling everything behind the scenes while pretending to be supportive. / He acted like a friend, but he was the puppet master, pulling the strings all along.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who manipulates. / Controlling others from the shadows.
19. A false idol
Meaning: Someone who is worshiped or admired but is ultimately untrustworthy or deceitful.
Samples: He became a false idol, everyone trusting him without knowing his true nature. / She was a false idol, appearing perfect but deceiving everyone.
To Put it Another Way: A deceptive role model. / Someone who misleads others.
20. A thief in the night
Meaning: A person who betrays or harms you secretly, often when you least expect it.
Samples: He was a thief in the night, taking advantage of my trust when I wasn’t looking. / Her betrayal was like a thief in the night, happening when I least expected it.
To Put it Another Way: A secret betrayer. / Someone who harms you secretly.
21. A cold shoulder
Meaning: A person who deliberately ignores or avoids you.
Samples: After the argument, she gave me the cold shoulder, refusing to even talk to me. / He turned out to be a cold shoulder, always distant and uninterested in our friendship.
To Put it Another Way: Ignoring someone. / Being unfriendly and distant.
22. A house of cards
Meaning: A relationship that seems stable but is actually fragile and likely to collapse.
Samples: Their friendship was a house of cards, built on lies and ready to fall apart. / Our trust felt like a house of cards, one small push and it would break.
To Put it Another Way: A fragile relationship. / Built on unstable foundations.
23. A snake in the garden
Meaning: Someone who is pretending to be a friend but has harmful intentions.
Samples: He was a snake in the garden, pretending to be a part of the group while secretly causing problems. / She was like a snake in the garden, acting kind but betraying me in private.
To Put it Another Way: A hidden enemy. / A friend who is secretly harmful.
24. A puppet on a string
Meaning: A person who is controlled or manipulated by others, often disguised as a friend.
Samples: She was just a puppet on a string, doing everything he asked and pretending to be my friend. / He controlled everyone like puppets on strings, using fake kindness to get what he wanted.
To Put it Another Way: Being controlled. / Manipulated for someone else’s benefit.
25. A wolf in a friend’s disguise
Meaning: A person who pretends to be a friend but is actually dangerous or harmful.
Samples: He was a wolf in a friend’s disguise, gaining my trust to stab me in the back later. / She showed up as a wolf in a friend’s disguise, pretending to care, but all she wanted was to hurt me.
To Put it Another Way: A deceptive friend. / Someone pretending to care but is harmful.
26. A fair-weather companion
Meaning: A friend who is only there when things are going well.
Samples: When I was struggling, she was nowhere to be found, a true fair-weather companion. He only visited when times were good, acting like a fair-weather companion.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who disappears in tough times. / Someone who’s around only when things are easy.
27. A hollow friend
Meaning: Someone who seems friendly but lacks depth or sincerity.
Samples: He turned out to be a hollow friend, always there when I didn’t need him but absent when I did. / She was a hollow friend, empty in her promises and loyalty.
To Put it Another Way: A superficial friend. / A friend with no true commitment.
28. A double agent
Meaning: A person who pretends to be your friend while secretly working against you.
Samples: He was a double agent, pretending to be loyal while feeding information to my rivals. She turned out to be a double agent, playing both sides to her advantage.
To Put it Another Way: A traitor. / Someone who betrays you from within.
29. A smooth talker
Meaning: A person who uses charm and flattery to deceive or manipulate.
Samples: He was just a smooth talker, saying whatever I wanted to hear while plotting behind my back. / She’s a smooth talker, making me think she’s on my side while she’s really not.
To Put it Another Way: Charming but deceptive. / Someone who uses words to manipulate.
30. A fake smile
Meaning: A person who pretends to be happy or friendly but doesn’t mean it.
Samples: He greeted me with a fake smile, pretending everything was okay when I knew it wasn’t. / Her fake smile made it clear she wasn’t truly my friend.
To Put it Another Way: Pretending to be friendly. / A smile with no sincerity.
31. A mirage of friendship
Meaning: A friendship that seems real but is ultimately an illusion.
Samples: Their friendship was just a mirage, something that looked real from a distance but faded when I needed it most. / He showed up as a mirage of friendship, pretending to care when it was convenient for him.
To Put it Another Way: A false friendship. / Something that looks good but isn’t real.
32. A puppet master
Meaning: Someone who controls or manipulates others, pretending to be friendly.
Samples: He acted like my friend, but he was the puppet master, pulling all the strings behind the scenes. / She was a puppet master, making me do things for her while pretending to be supportive.
To Put it Another Way: A manipulator. / Someone who controls others secretly.
33. A wolf in a friend’s coat
Meaning: A deceptive person pretending to be a friend, while actually intending to harm you.
Samples: He was a wolf in a friend’s coat, pretending to help me while secretly undermining me. / She showed up as a wolf in a friend’s coat, wearing kindness but bringing harm.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who is secretly an enemy. / Someone who hides their true intentions behind a friendly appearance.
34. A hollow shell of a friend
Meaning: Someone who once seemed like a real friend but is now empty or absent.
Samples: He became a hollow shell of a friend, once loyal but now distant and unhelpful. / She was a hollow shell of a friend, no longer caring about what happened to me.
To Put it Another Way: A friend who has lost their value. / Someone who is no longer supportive.
35. A sinking ship
Meaning: A relationship that is falling apart or doomed to fail.
Samples: The friendship felt like a sinking ship, everything going wrong no matter how hard I tried. / Our relationship became a sinking ship, with trust disappearing bit by bit.
To Put it Another Way: A doomed relationship. / A friendship that’s falling apart.
36. A wolf hiding in the pack
Meaning: A person who blends in with a group but is secretly out for their own interests or harmful intentions.
Samples: He was a wolf hiding in the pack, pretending to be a team player but secretly undermining everyone. / She was a wolf hiding in the pack, gaining our trust only to betray us later.
To Put it Another Way: A hidden betrayer. / Someone secretly harmful within a group.
37. A mirror of deceit
Meaning: A person who reflects what you want to see but is actually dishonest.
Samples: She was a mirror of deceit, showing me what I wanted to see while hiding the truth. / His friendship was a mirror of deceit, reflecting kindness but hiding manipulation.
To Put it Another Way: A false appearance. / Someone who lies behind a friendly face.
38. A broken compass
Meaning: A person who misleads you, giving you bad advice or direction.
Samples: She was a broken compass, giving me the wrong advice while pretending to help. / He was a broken compass, guiding me in the wrong direction on purpose.
To Put it Another Way: A misleading friend. / Someone who gives you bad direction.
39. A decoy friend
Meaning: A friend who is set up to divert your attention while someone else betrays you.
Samples: He was just a decoy friend, distracting me while the real betrayal was happening elsewhere. / She acted like a decoy friend, drawing attention away from the real issue.
To Put it Another Way: A distraction. / Someone who misleads you from the truth.
40. A storm in disguise
Meaning: A person who hides their disruptive and harmful nature behind a friendly exterior.
Samples: She was a storm in disguise, pretending to be calm but causing chaos in the background. / He was a storm in disguise, acting like my friend while creating trouble.
To Put it Another Way: A friend with hidden chaos. / Someone who brings trouble while pretending to be nice.
Find the Topics: Metaphors about Fake Friends
Activity: “The Betrayal in the Office”
Maria had always trusted her colleague Rachel, who seemed to be a good friend. At first, everything felt like a smooth ride, with Rachel offering help and advice when needed. But one day, Maria discovered that Rachel was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be supportive while undermining her behind her back. The more Maria looked, the more she realized Rachel was a snake in the grass, always whispering rumors and feeding false information to the boss.
Feeling betrayed, Maria remembered her grandmother’s advice: always be careful of fair-weather friends, those who stick around when things are easy but disappear when things get tough. Rachel, however, wasn’t even a fair-weather friend; she was a two-faced liar, acting one way in front of others and another behind their backs. Maria realized she had been a puppet on a string, manipulated by Rachel’s false kindness.
As Maria confronted Rachel, she felt like she was talking to a mirror of deceit, seeing only lies and manipulation reflected back. Rachel had been a decoy friend, distracting her from the real issues at hand, all while pretending to have Maria’s best interests at heart.
Your Task:
Can you underline or list all 10 metaphors about fake friends you found in the story?
Answer Key
- Wolf in sheep’s clothing
- Snake in the grass
- Fair-weather friend
- Two-faced liar
- Puppet on a string
- Mirror of deceit
- Decoy friend
- Backstabber
- Chameleon
- A house of cards
Conclusion
Fake friends can often disguise themselves, appearing loyal and supportive when, in reality, they are deceitful and manipulative. Using metaphors like “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” or “a snake in the grass” helps us understand the harmful nature of these relationships more clearly. These metaphors bring to life the emotional impact of betrayal and deception.
Next time you find yourself in a situation where a friendship feels off, think about these metaphors to help you identify whether someone is truly there for you or just pretending. Recognizing fake friends early can save you from unnecessary pain and help you build more genuine relationships.
