The Meaning of Friends With Benefits: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you have a friend with benefits? This article will explain the meaning of friends with benefits and teach you how to use it.

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Has someone you know ever had a “Netflix and Chill” night with their friend with benefits? First, this article is going to teach you all about what a friends with benefits relationship is. Then, it will teach you about translations of friends with benefits and synonyms and antonyms of the term friends with benefits!

What Does Friends With Benefits Mean?

The term friends with benefits — or FWB — refers to a relationship with no strings attached. For example, people in a friends with benefits relationship might hook up with their FWB frequently or participate in other behaviors like cuddling, sleepovers, or other sexual activity. Still, a friends with benefits arrangement is a casual sexual relationship and not a committed relationship.

Someone might choose to be in a friends with benefits relationship for several reasons. First, someone could be in an FWB situation if they do not want the commitment of a long term romantic partnership, but they still want to be sexually fulfilled by another person. Someone also might choose to enter an FWB relationship if they are fresh out of a relationship.

Often, people think of an FWB relationship as being a non-romantic relationship. In an FWB situation, it is important to establish ground rules for healthy relationships so that this kind of relationship does not end in heartbreak if one person develops an emotional connection. Having a regular check in with your a friends with benefits can be helpful to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

Some people decide to be friends with benefits with their close friends or best friend since they are already comfortable with each other, while many people prefer to be FWB with people they do not know from dating apps. It is important to be tested for STIs regularly to maintain your sexual health in both situations.

What Are Translations of Friends With Benefits?

People all around the world might participate in a friends with benefits relationship. Using this list of translations from Nice Translator, you can learn how to say “friends with benefits” in several other languages. However, note that this euphemism might not be in the vernacular of every language, so you should learn how to explain your situation in other ways.

  • Romanian: prieteni cu beneficii
  • Estonian: Sõbrad eelistega
  • Norwegian: venner med fordeler
  • Lithuanian: Draugai su privalumais
  • French: amis avec des avantages
  • Polish: Przyjaciele z korzyściami
  • Slovak: Priatelia s výhodami
  • Malay: rakan-rakan dengan faedah
  • Vietnamese: bạn bè với lợi ích
  • Croatian: prijatelji s povlasticama
  • Slovenian: Prijatelji s prednosti
  • Icelandic: vinir með fríðindum
  • Spanish: amigos con beneficios
  • Hebrew: יזיזים
  • Telugu: ప్రయోజనాలతో ఉన్న స్నేహితులు
  • Portuguese (Portugal): amigos com benefícios
  • Filipino: Mga kaibigan na may mga benepisyo
  • Czech: přátelé s výhodami
  • Marathi: फायदे सह मित्र
  • Chinese (PRC): 炮友
  • Hungarian: barátság extrákkal
  • Amharic: ከድማቶች ጋር ጓደኞች
  • Urdu: فوائد کے ساتھ دوست
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 炮友
  • German: Freunde mit Vorteilen
  • Malayalam: ഫ്രണ്ട്സ് വിത്ത് ബെനഫിറ്റ്സ്
  • Gujarati: લાભો સાથે મિત્રો
  • Catalan: amics amb beneficis
  • Thai: เพื่อนที่มีประโยชน์
  • Welsh: Cyfeillion â Budd-daliadau
  • Bulgarian: приятели с предимства
  • Russian: секс по дружбе
  • Arabic: أصدقاء مع فوائد
  • Greek: Φίλοι με οφέλη
  • Kannada: ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರು
  • Ukrainian: Друзі з перевагами
  • Hindi: फ़ायदे वाले दोस्त
  • Tamil: நன்மைகள் கொண்ட நண்பர்கள்
  • Turkish: aralarında duygusal birliktelik olmayıp sadece cinsel ilişki olan iki kişi
  • Korean: 혜택을 가진 친구
  • Finnish: Ystävät eduksi
  • Swedish: vänner med fördelar
  • Japanese: セフレ
  • Basque: eskubidedun lagunak
  • Swahili: marafiki na faida.
  • Indonesian: teman tapi Mesra
  • Danish: venner med fordele
  • Dutch: vrienden met voordelen
  • Italian: amici con benefici
  • Bengali: সুবিধাবাদী বন্ধু
  • Serbian: пријатељи и нешто више
  • Latvian: draugi ar pabalstiem
  • Portuguese (Brazil): amigos com benefícios

What Are Synonyms of Friends With Benefits?

There are several other euphemisms for the term friends with benefits listed below from Power Thesaurus. Some of these terms are more vulgar than others, so make sure that you think carefully about the situation in which you will be using the word before proceeding. 

  • bum chum
  •  casual sex partner
  •  fun buddy
  •  fun buddies
  •  f*ck-buddies
  •  casual sexual partners
  •  f*ckmates
  •  buttbuddies
  •  bit of crumpet
  •  one night stands
  •  f*ck buddies
  •  boy toy
  •  f*ckbuddies
  •  random sex
  •  friends-with-benefits thing
  •  blow buddies
  •  casual lovers
  •  casual sexual partner
  •  f*ck buddy
  •  meaningless sex
  •  boy toys
  •  casual sex
  •  friends with rights
  •  friend sex
  •  f*ckbuddy
  •  jumpoff
  •  casual dating
  •  occasional sex
  •  one night stand
  •  hook up buddy

What Are Antonyms of Friends With Benefits?

To refer to a long term committed relationship, you can use an antonym of friends with benefits from Power Thesaurus. These terms can refer to any type of long term relationship.

  • better half
  • boyfriend
  • bride
  • bridegroom
  • cohabitant
  • common-law husband
  • companion
  • comrade
  • concomitant
  • consort
  • couple
  • date
  • domestic partner
  • fellow
  • female
  • friend
  • girlfriend
  • groom
  • housemate
  • housewife
  • hubby
  • husband
  • husbands
  • lady
  • life partner
  • little woman
  • live-in lover
  • lover
  • main squeeze
  • man
  • married
  • married man
  • married person
  • married woman
  • marry
  • match
  • mate
  • mates
  • missus
  • monogamist
  • newlywed
  • newlyweds
  • old man
  • old woman
  • other half
  • pair
  • partner
  • partners
  • roommate
  • significant other
  • spouse
  • spouses
  • sweetheart
  • wife
  • wifey
  • wives
  • woman

Conclusion

Friends with benefits is a euphemism for a type of sexual relationship where partners have a sexual relationship and a friendship, but not a romantic relationship. 

Many people choose to be in friends with benefits relationships over long-term romantic relationships because they might not have the time to commit to a full-time relationship, or they are not ready for commitment but still want to be sexually fulfilled.

Do you prefer a committed relationship or an FWB situation?

Sources:

  1. 47 Words and Phrases for Friends With Benefits | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Spouse synonyms – 376 Words and Phrases for Spouse | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Friends with Benefits | Nice Translator