bedfellow

Partner in bed

A bedfellow is someone who shares a bed with another, though the word now appears almost exclusively in figurative expressions.

Strange bedfellows describes unlikely allies—people or groups who wouldn't normally associate but find themselves on the same side: The bill created strange bedfellows, uniting libertarians and progressives.

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

sleeping

roommate

One sharing living quarters

bunkmateBed-sharing cabin partner
sleeperOne at rest
pillowBedding for heads

blanket · sheets · snoring · mattress · duvet · slumber · coverlet · nighttime · cuddle · spoon

domestic

spouse

Married partner

partnerOne who shares activity
husbandMarried man's role
wifeFemale marriage partner

lover · cohabitant · housemate · flatmate · live-in · household · home · companion · significant other · paramour

political

ally

Supportive partner

coalitionTemporary alliance for action
allianceFormal union of parties
confederateAllied partner in schemes

accomplice · associate · partisan · sympathizer · advocate · backer · faction · lobby · caucus · bloc

idiom

unlikely

Not apt to happen

allianceFormal union of parties
politicsGovernmental power struggles
necessityIndispensable requirement

circumstance · unexpected · pairing · odd couple · association · combination · convenience · expediency · compromise

intimacy

lover

Romantic intimate

paramourLover in secret affair
romanceLove and its excitement
passionIntense emotional drive

affection · closeness · embrace · tenderness · devotion · attachment · tryst · liaison · affair · amour

Opposites

alliance/association

bedfellowenemy

Hostile opposing party

adversary · opponent · foe · rival · antagonist

intimacy/closeness

bedfellowstranger

Person not yet known

outsider · alien · foreigner · loner · isolate

Phrases

strange bedfellowsImprobable alliance of opposites

Family

bedfellows

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG