a friend in need is a friend indeed
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: a friend in need (is a friend indeed)
Sense 1
If a friend helps one when one is in need, that person is a true friend.
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
If a friend is in need of help, it is beneficial and wise to help them.
Giúp đỡ bạn khi cần là điều có lợi và khôn ngoan
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
A true friend is one who helps in times of trouble
Người bạn trung thành là người giúp đỡ trong lúc khó khăn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Examples
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “a friend in need is a friend indeed” mean?
If a friend helps one when one is in need, that person is a true friend.
Is “a friend in need is a friend indeed” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.