imaginary friend
nounUK /ɪˈmædʒ.ɪ.nər.i frend/
US /ɪˈmædʒ.ə.ner.i frend/
A friend you make up in your mind to play with.
When she was little, she had an imaginary friend named Mr. Whiskers.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A character a child invents to keep themselves company.
He talked to his imaginary friend during long car rides.
3. A person one thinks about but who does not really exist.
The lonely man treated his imaginary friend as a real confidant.
4. Something hoped for but not real, used figuratively.
Their promised support turned out to be an imaginary friend.