frenemy

thumb Frenemy is a portmanteau of the words friend and enemy that refers to "a person whom one is friendly with, despite a dislike or rivalry" or "a person who combines the characteristics of a friend and an enemy".

The term is used to describe personal, geopolitical and commercial relationships both among individuals and groups or institutions. According to communication scholars, Carol Mills and Paul Mongeau, in interpersonal relationships, frenemyships are often maintained because the "relational benefits (e.g., saving face, maintaining social networks, and sustaining potential instrumental connections) outweigh negative ramifications of dealing with the relationship or terminating it." In these relationships, parties engage in civil interaction in public, but fundamentally distrust or dislike one another.