Home  >  My Life  >  Work and Play

Bad Friends: 25 Types of Friends You MUST Unfriend from Your Life

There are many types of friends you’ll come across in life. But there are a few bad friends you should stay away from. What kind of friends do you have?

bad friends types of friends

We come across many people in life, at work, through common friends, and even the occasional friend of convenience you bump into and stay friends with. But in all of these types of friends and new friendships you create, there are a few types of bad friends you definitely can do without!

The sooner you weed out the bad ones, the better you’ll start to feel about your life and your future. So which friends should you finally let go of?

The good side of having good friends in your life

Good friends can be your greatest allies in life. Besides supporting you and providing helpful advice, they are also meant to be there for you through both good times and in bad.

They can act as your support group, your shopping buddies, the shoulders to cry on, and the ones you can spoil and do little favors for, just because. If you have friends like these, count yourself lucky!

But along with good friends, there may be a couple of toxic ones lurking around in your social circle. They’re the ones who bring you down and make you feel unwanted. They’re the types of friends who bring nothing but trouble. They’re the ones who are so selfish that they think the world will unconditionally love them. And most importantly, they’re the ones you should want out of your life.

[Read: 15 qualities of a good friend that sets that apart – Do you see these in yourself?]

Why we hang out with some friends even when you know they’re bad for you

Okay, things aren’t how they used to be anymore. We need friends for everything these days. Who else is going to snap a picture of us when we’re out having fun?!

We need friends to go out with, we need friends to celebrate our special days, and we need friends to go on vacations with. And all of this so you can let everyone else know how “fun” you are, snapping away all those beautiful pictures with your “friends”.

[Read: The different types of friendships we’ve all had while growing up]

bad friendship

Do you really need to jeopardize your happiness to be with these friends?

If you don’t have friends, you’re considered a loner, or just plain weird. You may even be shaking your head and telling yourself you need friends even if you know deep inside that they’re not good for you.

But just for a second, think about this. As much as you’re having fun with your friend, are they still making you feel miserable, needy or just less than happy in your everyday life? Is it worth spending a few hours every week with someone if they make you feel worse every other day of the week?

[Read: The clearest signs a friend is using you and draining your happiness away]

The types of friends you need to unfriend for your own sanity

Sometimes, you need to cut a few wrong types of friends and move away from them. Yes, it’ll hurt. Yes, you may feel lonely for a while. BUT over the long term, you’ll be in a happier state of mind and in a better place in your life.

Want to know the different kinds of bad friends you need to keep your distance from? Here are 25 types of bad friends who make your life, just a bit worse, every time you hang out with them.

1. The selfish friend

This is the type of friend who thinks everything revolves around them. They only hang out with you or do things when it suits their own purpose, and they won’t be caught dead doing something nice for someone else unless they have an ulterior motive. [Read: 10 ways to recognize a selfish person and 5 ways to get away from them]

2. The always unavailable friend

You know the one who always wants to get together, but when you try to make a plan, they remind you of how busy they are? Their calendar never seems to clear up, but they still want to be on your friends list… without doing any of the actual friend activities, that is.

3. The excuse lover

This is the friend who has an excuse for everything. They couldn’t meet you? There’s an excuse. They lied to you about something and you caught them? There’s a bigger excuse. Every single time you confront them about anything, they lie right through their teeth. And over time, your expectations from their stoop so low you don’t even care if they’re exploiting you. [Read: 18 insightful reasons why you don’t have any friends]

4. The self-esteem destroyer

Real friends will love you for who you are, but bad friends will wreak havoc on your self-esteem in order to protect their own fragile self-worth. Whether it’s fat shaming or pointing out all your flaws on a regular basis, this friend needs a kick to the curb.

5. The bad advice counselor

This friend always gives you the worst advice, and they get their kicks out of your life mistakes. They might make you break up with your boyfriend, or convince you that your girlfriend is cheating on you, just because misery loves company. If they don’t have your best interests at heart, they aren’t a friend. Period. [Read: 13 signs your friends are ruining your relationship]

6. The single friend who dumps you when they’re in a relationship

This person only crops up when they are single. Attempt to contact them while they are in a relationship and prepare to hear radio silence.

7. The user

This “friend” uses you as a wing man/woman, to buy the drinks at the club, to be the designated driver, and the list goes on. They won’t go out with you unless you have some kind of benefit for them. This one doubles as the selfish friend, and they are a bottomless pit of greed. [Read: The different types of toxic friends who can make your life hell]

8. The friend you’re in love with

This friend is the guy or girl that you remain friends with despite being hopelessly in love with them. They are either oblivious or don’t reciprocate the feeling. Being around them will only either expose you to their romantic exploits with other partners *ouch* or the blatant fact that they only see you as a friend *double ouch*. Either ‘fess up or keep your distance. [Read: The step-by-step guide when you find yourself falling for a friend]

9. The financially depleting friend

The one who always makes plans to do things that involve dropping huge amounts of cash on the regular, where you end up feeling guilty for wanting to stay in or saving up for that new piece of furniture you so badly need. They give you the “huh?” look when you mention money being an issue. You may not be on the same page, financially or otherwise.

10. The influencer friend

The one who will only walk around with you if you look good. They will give you a weird look when you walk out in sweats while they’re dressed to kill. They are looking for an entourage based on looks, not on actually building solid friendships for life. All these people want is an audience, and they really aren’t the type to be around for the long haul. [Read: 15 signs of a fake friend you can spot from a mile away]

types of friendships

11. The yo-yo friend

One day, they’re your best friend, and the next, you catch them with matching BFF bracelets with that other girl they hated last week. This friend is always between friends. If you get on their bad side, they won’t be by your side for long, but will come crying back when they realize the grass isn’t any greener over there. [Read: 16 signs you’re being taken for granted by your friends]

12. The “friend” who’s trying to sleep with you

These types of friends don’t really want to be your friend at all. All they’re doing is secretly hoping for your current relationship to fail or for you to get drunk enough to sleep with them. These friends will flirt with you and ask hypothetical questions about the two of you hooking up. [Read: Subtle signs your BFF is secretly trying to seduce you]

13. The friend with baggage

They are always showing up with a new guy or girl on their arm, and they can’t seem to hang out with you unless they have an “other half” present. These friends will dump you for their fling of the moment, and you should probably beat them to it.

14. The long-time friend you have nothing in common with anymore

You had some wild times in college together, and until now, they’re still hitting up clubs every weekend, while in school for the third time, all while they’re married with kids. You just can’t seem to find common ground, other than laughing about your old college stories. Leave it in the past. It’s wasted time. [Read: Are you losing a friend or just drifting away?]

15. The negative friend

Whenever you bring up something great, they bring up something in the news that you should be worried about. Whether it’s pandemics, the declining economy, the failing marriage rates, or how hard it is to find a good significant other in today’s world, they are constantly complaining or worrying about one thing or another.

These people will drain you of your good vibes and energy. They need to be avoided if you don’t want to be sucked into their pit of constant negativity. [Read: The types of toxic friends who make you miserable all the time]

16. The needy friend

This is the friend who can’t seem to do anything on their own. They always need advice on how to respond to their crush’s text, their clothing choices, and right down to the types of food they should eat. This friendship is exhausting and pointless, to say the least.

17. The backstabber

They smile in your face, but every other day, you hear something backstabbing-worthy from another mutual friend. Whether they don’t believe you deserve your promotion at work, think you don’t deserve your partner, or poke fun at how you gained five pounds on vacation, these are among the worst types of friends. Remove them from your life before they destroy your reputation.

18. The flaky friend

This friend is the flaky one, the one who is always making plans and then cancelling at the last minute. There’s no telling what kind of excuse they’ll magically come up with, especially when you feel like you’ve already heard them all before. [Read: Here’s why you need to ditch a flaky friend as soon as you possibly can]

19. The jealous friend

This type of friend seems like a friend. But every time there’s something good in your life, you can swear you see their eyes go green. They may seem like a good friend, but you can’t help but see the envy change into pure jealousy and hatred when you’re around them.

20. The friend who lets you down

Who hasn’t come across one of these friends these days? They take flakiness to a whole new level. They promise something big, like traveling on a vacation together, or being by your side through a difficult time, or even moving to a new country for a year. But when you’re all set and ready to make this big life change, they drop the bomb and back out – and leave you out to dry, and all alone. [Read: Why do I feel all alone? The answers that can change your life]

21. The friend who hurts you often

Either through their words or their behavior. If you have a friend who leaves you feeling teary-eyed, or someone who you just don’t trust with a small piece of your heart, they should have no place in your life!

22. The narcissistic friend

Oh, haven’t we all come across this one? The friend who thinks they’re a trophy to be won, this friend makes absolutely no effort once they’ve hooked you. At the beginning, they behave like you two are besties for life. And then they show their true colors. They blow hot and cold often, leave you confused all the time, AND they expect you to do everything you can to keep them happy. [Read: Why do narcissists ignore texts and do the selfish things they do?]

23. The distracted friend

Ever heard of phubbing? This type of friend has mastered the art of staying distracted all throughout the conversation with you. They don’t listen to you, they don’t care about the things happening in your life, and they’re perpetually distracted by something “better” on their phone. Seriously, makes you wonder why are they even hanging out with you in the first place? [Read: Why phubbing is the rudest thing you could ever do to someone]

24. The energy vampire friend

Do you feel completely drained and tired after spending an hour or two with a friend? And do they seem invigorated and happy every time they leave you after unloading their emotional burden on you? Cue the energy vampire! Stay away from them. [Read: The signs your friend is clearly an energy vampire]

25. The friend who holds you back from success

Look, gathering motivation is hard enough. And just as you muster enough motivation after scooping motivational quotes for several days, do you have a friend who walks right in and dashes all of your dreams against the rocks because “it’s not worth it”?

[Read: Bad friends and the right time to end your friendship with them]

bad friend

With friends like these, who needs enemies, right?

Do you really HAVE to end your friendship with these types of friends, because of a few small, bad traits? Honestly, you don’t have to end them. These days, people are just way more self-obsessed than ever before. So one of the things we’ve learned to accept is putting up with someone’s bad behavior.

BUT here’s what you need to remember. Every time you put up with or tolerate someone who hurts you, you’re acknowledging that you’re okay with being treated badly by others. Do you need that kind of mental stress on you? Would you want to feel all alone because you don’t trust any friend to be there for you?

[Read: What makes someone a true friend? The traits you need to look for]

Hold the right friends close, and keep the rest at arm’s length

Ditch these types of friends if you can. If you can’t or don’t want to, limit the time you spend with them. Focus on the friends who wish the best for you, and the ones you feel the same towards.

You don’t need 5000 friends just to make your social media accounts look cool. Leave those friends on social media. And focus on the few true ones who you trust will be there for you, standing outside your door at 3am after you’ve called them.

[Read: How to build true and lasting friendships with people who are right for you]

True friends are meant to add positivity and joy to your life, not make it worse. And bad friends are easy to find, but they’re not even your friends in the first place. So if you see these types of friends in your life, pay attention to the signs, and start walking away before you start to believe that’s all you deserve.

Liked what you just read? Follow us on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest and we promise, we’ll be your lucky charm to a beautiful love life.

LovePanky icon
Team LovePanky
The editorial team of LovePanky comprises relationship experts and real-life experts that share their experiences and life lessons. If you want the best love ad...