A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This proverb says that true friends reveal themselves in hard times: the friend who stands by you when you are in need is a friend indeed, a real one. Its neat rhyme makes it easy to remember, and it is used to thank someone who helped at the right moment, or to judge those who disappeared when help was needed.

The wording has puzzled readers: “a friend in need” could also mean a friend who needs you, and some hear “indeed” as “in deed”, a friend proven by actions rather than words. All these readings point the same way: friendship is measured when it costs something.

The idea is ancient. In his dialogue On Friendship, Cicero quotes the Roman poet Ennius: a sure friend is known in an unsure situation. French says “C’est dans le besoin qu’on reconnaît ses vrais amis”, and many other languages have similar sayings.

English proverb