What does bedfellow mean?
Bedfellow is a noun with two related senses: literally, a person who shares one's bed, and figuratively — by far the more common usage today — a person or group drawn into close association or alliance with another, particularly when the pairing seems improbable or uncomfortable. The word entered English in the fifteenth century as a straightforward compound of 'bed' and 'fellow', describing the common historical practice of sharing beds in inns and households. Its figurative life was transformed by Shakespeare, whose line 'misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows' in The Tempest (c. 1611) gave rise to the enduring proverb 'politics makes strange bedfellows'. As a result, modern uses of the word nearly always imply that the alliance in question is surprising, expedient, or slightly awkward — two rivals uniting against a shared threat, for instance. It remains a vivid, slightly wry term for unlikely partnerships.
A person who shares one's bed.
"Travellers at the inn were often assigned a bedfellow for the night."
Now largely historical or dated.
A person or thing closely associated or allied with another, especially in an unexpected or uneasy way.
"Environmentalists and hunters made strange bedfellows in opposing the development."
Standard plural; used freely in both literal and figurative senses.
"The coalition united some very odd bedfellows."
Shakespeare coined 'strange bedfellows' in The Tempest — and over four centuries later, it's still the go-to phrase for every awkward political alliance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bedfellow
Bedfellow is a compound of 'bed' and 'fellow', formed in Middle English; 'fellow' itself derives from Old Norse 'félagi', meaning a partner in property or venture, from 'fé' (property) plus 'lag' (a laying together). The literal sense of one who shares a bed dates from the fifteenth century, reflecting the era's ordinary custom of bed-sharing. Shakespeare's 'strange bedfellows' in The Tempest (early 17th century) cemented the figurative sense of an unlikely associate, which has since become the word's dominant meaning.
How bedfellow is actually used
The literal sense (someone sharing a bed) is now rare and somewhat dated; the figurative sense dominates contemporary usage. The phrase 'politics makes strange bedfellows' is so entrenched that 'bedfellow' almost always carries a hint of surprise or incongruity about the alliance described.
Easily confused with bedfellow
A flatmate shares one's living quarters but not necessarily a bed, whereas bedfellow literally refers to someone sharing the same bed.