There’s something magical about a friend who shows up when everyone else disappears. You know the type-the one who answers your 2 AM phone calls, brings ice cream after heartbreak, and celebrates your wins like they’re their own. These are the friends who stick around through thick and thin, proving that some bonds are simply unbreakable.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect words to thank a loyal friend, need inspiration during tough times, or want to share something meaningful on social media, best friends through thick and thin quotes capture the essence of relationships that weather every storm. These aren’t just pretty words-they’re tributes to the people who choose to love us at our worst and cheer us on at our best.
- “A friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell
This timeless quote perfectly captures what real friendship looks like when life gets complicated.
- “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” – Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s wisdom reminds us that true friendship isn’t about sharing the good times-it’s about who stays when things fall apart.
In this comprehensive collection, you’ll discover 109 heartfelt quotes celebrating unwavering friendship, perfect for cards, social posts, or simply reminding yourself how blessed you are to have people who truly care.
Understanding “Through Thick and Thin” Friendship
Real friendship isn’t just about having someone to grab coffee with (though that’s nice too). “Through thick and thin” friendship means having someone who sees you struggle and doesn’t turn away. It’s about weathering life’s storms together-job losses, family drama, heartbreak, health scares-and somehow coming out stronger on the other side.
- “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'” – C.S. Lewis
Lewis captures that beautiful instant when you realize you’re not alone in your struggles or quirks.
- “One friend in a storm is worth more than a thousand friends in sunshine.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
This quote highlights why loyalty in friendship matters more than popularity or social connections.
- “A true friend sees the pain in your eyes when everyone else believes your smile.” – Unknown
Sometimes the most profound gift is being truly seen and understood.
- “True friendship isn’t about being inseparable, but about being apart and knowing nothing changes.” – Unknown
Enduring friendship doesn’t require constant contact-it requires unwavering trust and commitment.
- “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” – Woodrow Wilson
Wilson elevates friendship to something essential for humanity itself.
- “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Anonymous
Worth repeating because this truth never gets old-real friends show up when it counts.
- “Best friends share tears and laughs, almost like their emotions are intertwined.” – Anonymous
There’s something beautiful about friends who feel so deeply connected that your joy becomes their joy, your pain becomes their pain.
- “A good friend knows all your best stories, but a best friend has lived them with you.” – Anonymous
Shared experiences create bonds that can’t be broken by time or distance.
These friendships aren’t perfect-they involve conflict, growth, and sometimes painful honesty. But that’s exactly what makes them worth celebrating.
Top 30 Best Friends Through Thick and Thin Quotes to Share
Looking for the perfect quote to text your bestie or post on Instagram? These friendship quotes about loyalty are ideal for social media, greeting cards, or those moments when you want to remind someone how much they mean to you.
Loyalty and Unwavering Support
- “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” – Elbert Hubbard
True acceptance means loving someone completely, flaws and all.
- “Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.” – Richard Bach
Some connections are just meant to be, creating instant understanding that lasts a lifetime.
- “That’s when I realized what a true friend was. Someone who would always love you-the imperfect you.” – R.J.L.
Perfect friends don’t exist, but friends who love your imperfections absolutely do.
- “True friendship is one mind in two bodies.” – Unknown
When you’re so in sync with someone that you practically read each other’s thoughts.
- “I don’t know what I would’ve done without my friends. My friends are everything to me.” – Emma Stone
Sometimes the simplest expressions of gratitude hit the hardest.
- “A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they’re not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they’re not so bad.” – Arnold Glasow
True friends know when to laugh with you and when to cry with you.
- “Good friends multiply joy and divide sorrow.” – Unknown
Mathematical proof that friendship makes everything better.
- “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” – Elisabeth Foley
Growth doesn’t have to mean growing apart-sometimes it means growing together in new ways.
Strength in Adversity and Hardship
- “When it hurts to look back, and you’re afraid to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.” – Anonymous
This quote offers comfort for those moments when you feel completely lost.
- “Best friend isn’t just a name. It’s someone who’s there for you, no matter what.” – Anonymous
Simple, direct, and absolutely true-unconditional friendship at its finest.
- “True friends are those who lift you up when you’ve forgotten how to fly.” – Unknown
Sometimes we need someone to remind us of our own strength and potential.
- “A friend who understands your tears is more valuable than many who only know your smile.” – Sushan R. Sharma
The friends who see your pain and don’t try to fix it-they just sit with you in it.
- “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain… but if you haven’t learned friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” – Muhammad Ali
Coming from someone who understood both triumph and struggle, this quote carries extra weight.
- “Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.” – Anonymous
A poetic way to honor the journey of friendship through all its phases.
- “In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.” – Salman Rushdie
A sweet reminder that friends make everything better, even the ordinary moments.
Friendship Across Distance and Time
- “True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never by heart.” – Unknown
Physical separation can’t touch the bond between true friends.
- “Distance means so little when friendship means so much.” – Unknown
Love transcends geography-a truth anyone with a long-distance best friend knows well.
- “Real friendships survive time, distance, and silence.” – Unknown
Sometimes the strongest friendships can pick up right where they left off, no matter how much time has passed.
- “Miles cannot separate the hearts of true friends.” – Unknown
Your heart doesn’t measure distance in miles-it measures connection in love.
- “Even if we are far apart, we are close at heart.” – Unknown
Simple but powerful reassurance for anyone missing a distant friend.
- “A long-distance friend is proof that love and connection know no boundaries.” – Unknown
Long-distance friendship proves that the best connections aren’t limited by physical proximity.
- “True friendship withstands the test of time and space.” – Unknown
Time and distance are no match for genuine connection.
- “No matter where life takes us, true friends always find their way back to each other.” – Unknown
There’s something inevitably magnetic about real friendship-true friends always reconnect.
- “A good friend is worth the wait, no matter the miles between.” – Unknown
Patience becomes easy when you know the relationship is worth it.
- “Nothing compares to the pain of a belly ache from laughing too hard with your best friend.” – Anonymous
The best kind of pain-the kind that comes from pure joy shared with someone special.
- “You can always tell when two people are best friends because they are having more fun than it makes sense for them to be having.” – Anonymous
Best friends bring out each other’s inner child in the most wonderful way.
- “Best friends make everything unforgettable.” – Unknown
Even mundane moments become treasured memories when you’re with the right person.
- “True friends lift you up when you’ve forgotten how to fly.” – Unknown
Hope and encouragement wrapped up in a beautiful metaphor.
- “My friends are the weirdest, most creative, funniest people I know. And I love them for it.” – Mindy Kaling
Celebrating the delightful quirks that make your friends uniquely themselves.
- “A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.” – Unknown
True friends focus on your beauty rather than your brokenness.
Heartfelt Messages to Express Appreciation for Your Best Friend
Sometimes a simple quote isn’t enough-you need words that dig deeper and express the full magnitude of your gratitude. These longer friendship appreciation quotes work beautifully in cards, letters, or heartfelt texts to show someone how much their loyalty means to you.
You know how some people just get you? Those are the friends worth celebrating with quotes that make you cry because they capture something so true it takes your breath away.
- “A true friend is someone who thinks you’re a good egg even when they know you’re slightly cracked.” – Bernard Meltzer
Perfect friends don’t exist, but friends who love our cracks and all-those are treasures.
- “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” – Hubert H. Humphrey
Gratitude expressed simply but powerfully-friendship as life’s greatest blessing.
- “Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life.” – Jean de La Fontaine
As we age, we realize how precious true friendship really is.
- “A friend is one of nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be.” – Winnie the Pooh
Childhood wisdom that rings true at any age-friendship is both a gift and a responsibility.
- “There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.” – Unknown
Some bonds transcend traditional categories and create their own beautiful definition.
- “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel
A profound distinction that elevates friendship to something pure and selfless.
- “True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” – David Tyson
You know you’ve found your person when you can just exist together without needing to fill every moment with words.
- “Friendship is not about whom you have known the longest. It is about who came and never left your side.” – Unknown
Duration doesn’t determine depth-loyalty and consistency do.
- “A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” – Leo Buscaglia
Sometimes one perfect friendship is enough to make life feel complete.
- “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.” – Albert Schweitzer
Friends have this amazing ability to reignite our spark when we’ve lost our way.
- “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'” – C.S. Lewis
That instant recognition of shared experience creates bonds that last lifetimes.
- “Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends.” – Virginia Woolf
When you need wisdom, comfort, or truth, sometimes your friends are the best sanctuary.
- “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” – Henry David Thoreau
True friends communicate in looks, gestures, and understanding that goes beyond verbal expression.
- “Friendship is the wine of life.” – Edward Young
Rich, complex, and getting better with age-friendship enhances everything.
- “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive.” – Anaïs Nin
Friends don’t just enter our world-they help create new dimensions of who we can become.
Unique and Lesser-Known Friendship Quotes That Celebrate Real Adversity
While many friendship quotes focus on the easy, happy moments, the most meaningful relationships are forged in difficulty. These quotes about friendship through adversity acknowledge the complex reality of relationships that survive conflict, growth, and genuine challenges.
Quotes About Conflict and Reconciliation
- “True friendship can afford to be honest.” – Fenelon
Real friends tell you the truth even when it’s uncomfortable-especially when it’s uncomfortable.
- “The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing… not healing, not curing… that is a friend who cares.” – Henri Nouwen
Sometimes the greatest gift is simply bearing witness to someone’s pain without trying to fix it.
- “Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Mathematical proof that friendship makes everything better-joy multiplied, sorrow divided.
- “The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.” – Henry David Thoreau
Profound in its simplicity-sometimes presence is the most powerful gift.
- “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” – Jim Morrison
True acceptance means creating space for someone to be authentically themselves.
Friendship Through Mental Health and Personal Crisis
- “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” – Ulysses S. Grant
People who show up in your darkness deserve special honor and gratitude.
- “A friend who understands your tears is much more valuable than a lot of friends who only know your smile.” – Sushan R. Sharma
Emotional support matters more than surface-level connections ever could.
- “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” – Socrates
Choose your inner circle carefully, but once you do, commit fully to those relationships.
- “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” – Khalil Gibran
Real friendship requires intentional care and effort-it’s a privilege, not something to take advantage of.
- “Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over.” – Octavia Butler
Supportive friendship sometimes means knowing when to step back and when to step in.
Friendship as an Evolving Journey
- “Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” – Ally Condie
Even when friendships change or end, the growth they fostered remains valuable.
- “Friendship is the only ship that doesn’t sink, even when everything else does.” – Unknown
When life feels like it’s falling apart, true friends remain steady anchors.
- “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” – Donna Roberts
Friends remember who you are when you’ve lost sight of yourself.
- “Friendship is not a big thing-it’s a million little things.” – Paulo Coelho
Grand gestures matter, but consistency in small moments builds unshakeable bonds.
- “We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over.” – Ray Bradbury
Friendship often develops gradually through accumulated moments of connection and care.
- “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” – Aristotle
When you find someone who truly understands you, it feels like finding another part of yourself.
- “Friendship is delicate as a glass, once broken it can be fixed but there will always be cracks.” – Waqar Ahmed
Honest acknowledgment that while friendships can survive damage, they may look different afterward.
- “It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.” – Unknown
A powerful reminder about what truly creates a rich, meaningful existence.
Celebrating Long-Distance Friendships That Endure
In our connected world, many of us have friends scattered across the globe. These long-distance friendship quotes celebrate the beautiful truth that real connection transcends physical proximity and time zones.
- “True friends never really say goodbye; they just say ‘see you later.'” – Unknown
Distance doesn’t mean endings-just temporary pauses between reunions.
- “Distance is just a test to see how far love can travel.” – Unknown
Long-distance relationships of all kinds prove that love knows no boundaries.
- “Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles, it’s measured by the heart.” – Unknown
Geography becomes irrelevant when hearts are connected.
- “I may not always be there with you, but I will always be there for you.” – Unknown
Physical presence isn’t required for emotional support and unwavering loyalty.
- “Friends are like stars, you don’t always see them but you know they’re always there.” – Unknown
Sometimes the most comforting friendships are the ones that provide steady, quiet support.
- “Technology may connect us instantly, but true friendship connects us eternally.” – Unknown
Apps and social media are tools, but genuine connection happens on a deeper level.
- “The most beautiful thing about friendship is that distance and time can’t diminish it.” – Unknown
Real friendship exists outside the constraints of space and time.
- “A best friend is someone who loves you when you forget to love yourself.” – Unknown
Sometimes friends see our worth more clearly than we do, especially during difficult seasons.
For more inspiration on maintaining strong connections across distance, check out these quotes about appreciating friends who check up on you-because those random “how are you?” texts mean everything.
- “Missing someone gets easier every day because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will.” – Unknown
A hopeful perspective that reframes missing someone as moving toward reunion.
- “Distance never separates two hearts that really care.” – Unknown
When love is real, miles become meaningless numbers.
- “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.” – Unknown
Partnership and friendship create completeness that individual achievement never could.
- “Good friends care for each other. Close friends understand each other. But true friends stay forever, beyond words, beyond distance, beyond time.” – Unknown
The hierarchy of friendship-from care to understanding to eternal connection.
- “Ocean separates lands, not souls.” – Munia Khan
Poetic truth about the nature of deep human connection.
- “Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves.” – Vincent van Gogh
The gift of being known so completely by another person.
Humor and Joy: Finding Lightness in Friendship Through Thick and Thin
Not every moment of deep friendship needs to be serious. Some of the strongest bonds are built on laughter, inside jokes, and the ability to find joy even in difficult circumstances. These funny friendship quotes celebrate the lighter side of loyal relationships.
- “Good friends don’t let you do stupid things… alone.” – Unknown
True friendship means having a partner in crime for all of life’s adventures (and misadventures).
- “We’ll be the old ladies causing trouble in the nursing home.” – Unknown
Planning to grow old disgracefully together-the ultimate friendship goal.
- “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” – Bernard Meltzer
Perfect people are boring-give me friends who love my weirdness any day.
- “Friends buy you food. Best friends eat your food.” – Unknown
The progression of friendship comfort levels, measured in food-sharing boundaries.
- “I was an innocent being… then my best friend came along.” – Unknown
The beautiful corrupting influence of a partner in mischief.
- “Real friends don’t get offended when you insult them. They smile and call you something even more offensive.” – Unknown
When your relationship is strong enough to handle playful roasting.
- “You don’t have to be crazy to be my friend, but it sure helps!” – Unknown
Sometimes the best friendships are built on shared weirdness.
- “Friends come and go like waves of the ocean, but the true ones stick like an octopus on your face.” – Unknown
A hilariously accurate description of persistent friendship.
- “I don’t know what’s tighter, our jeans or our friendship.” – Unknown
When you’re so close that everything feels a little snug.
Sisters by Choice: Recognizing Female Friendship Strength
There’s something particularly powerful about female friendships that weather every storm. These relationships often carry a special intensity and loyalty that deserves recognition. For those bonds that feel more like family, these quotes about sisters not by blood but by heart capture that chosen family feeling perfectly.
- “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.” – Unknown
Female friendship often involves fiercely protecting and supporting one another.
- “I never had a sister, but my friends are my sisters.” – Unknown
Chosen family relationships can be just as powerful as biological ones.
- “We weren’t sisters by birth, but we knew from the start, fate brought us together to be sisters by heart.” – Unknown
Some connections feel destined, like the universe knew you needed each other.
- “Side by side or miles apart, real friends are always close to the heart.” – Unknown
Sisterhood transcends physical distance and time.
- “Girls compete with each other, women empower one another.” – Unknown
Mature female friendship involves lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down.
- “Strong women: may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.” – Unknown
A toast to female empowerment and the women who model strength for future generations.
- “Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.” – Unknown
Recognition that achievement often comes with a support system of amazing women.
- “She believed she could, so she did. But she couldn’t have done it without her girls.” – Unknown
Even individual success stories usually have a foundation of friendship and support.
How to Use These Quotes Effectively for Maximum Impact
Having a collection of beautiful quotes is just the beginning-knowing how to use them meaningfully can deepen your relationships and create lasting impact. Here are practical ways to share these friendship quotes authentically.
- “The best mirror is an old friend.” – George Herbert
Use this when you want to acknowledge how well a friend knows and reflects your true self.
For Social Media: Pair quotes with genuine personal stories or photos that illustrate the friendship. Instead of just posting a quote, add context like “This reminded me of when…” or “Grateful for friends who…”
For Cards and Letters: Choose quotes that specifically relate to shared experiences or qualities you admire in that person. Add a personal paragraph explaining why that particular quote made you think of them.
- “Friendship is like money, easier made than kept.” – Samuel Butler
A reminder that maintaining friendships requires ongoing effort and intentionality.
For Difficult Conversations: Sometimes a thoughtful quote can open dialogue about relationship challenges or express feelings you’re struggling to articulate.
- “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Perfect for self-reflection or encouraging someone to invest more deeply in their relationships.
For Celebrations: Use uplifting, joyful quotes during birthdays, achievements, or friendship anniversaries to mark special moments.
- “Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.” – Baltasar Gracián
Beautiful for times when you want to acknowledge how friendship has improved your life.
For Difficult Times: Choose quotes that offer comfort, hope, or acknowledgment of struggle when friends are going through hard seasons.
- “The most beautiful thing about friendship is that it never dies.” – Unknown
End with this eternal truth-that real friendship creates something lasting and beautiful that transcends time, distance, and even death.
Common Questions About Best Friends Through Thick and Thin Quotes
Q: What makes a “through thick and thin” friend different from other friends?
A: Through thick and thin friends are the ones who stay consistent regardless of circumstances. They’re present during your worst moments, celebrate your successes without jealousy, and maintain loyalty even when it’s inconvenient or costly. These friends have proven their commitment through actual adversity, not just good times.
Q: How can I use these quotes to strengthen my existing friendships?
A: Share meaningful quotes with personal context-explain why a specific quote reminded you of your friend or how it captures something you appreciate about your relationship. Use them as conversation starters about what friendship means to both of you, or include them in handwritten notes during important moments.
Q: Are these quotes appropriate for male friendships too?
A: Absolutely! While some quotes specifically celebrate female friendships, the vast majority apply to loyal friendships of all types. Deep, supportive friendship is universal-it’s not limited by gender, age, or background.
Q: What’s the best way to share friendship quotes on social media without seeming fake?
A: Always add personal context or genuine emotion. Instead of just posting a quote, explain what prompted you to share it, tag the friend who inspired the post, or share a brief story that illustrates why the quote resonates with you. Authentic appreciation always feels different from empty posting.
Q: Can these quotes help repair a damaged friendship?
A: Quotes can be conversation starters, but they’re not magic fixes. If you’re trying to repair a relationship, choose quotes that acknowledge growth, forgiveness, or the value of working through difficulties together. Follow up with honest communication and consistent actions that demonstrate your commitment to rebuilding trust.
Conclusion
True friendship-the kind that lasts through thick and thin-is one of life’s greatest treasures. It’s found in the friends who answer late-night calls, show up uninvited with ice cream, and love you even when you’re not particularly lovable. These 109 quotes celebrate that rare, beautiful thing: unwavering loyalty between people who choose to stick together no matter what.
Whether you’re looking to express gratitude, find comfort during difficult times, or simply celebrate the amazing people in your life, the right words can capture feelings that sometimes seem too big for language. Use these quotes to strengthen your relationships, honor the friends who’ve earned special places in your heart, and remind yourself how blessed you are to experience genuine friendship.
Remember, the best friendship quotes aren’t just pretty words-they’re invitations to love better, appreciate deeper, and commit more fully to the people who make life worth living. So go ahead, send that text, write that letter, or post that tribute. Your friends deserve to know how much they mean to you.
After all, life is too short for unexpressed gratitude, and true friends are too precious to take for granted.
