best friend
Americannoun
-
a person’s closest or most cherished friend.
Sheila has been my best friend since we were seven.
- Synonyms:
- bosom friend, bosom buddy, bff, bf, bestie
-
something that a person particularly depends on or has a special affection for.
A purple, stuffed armadillo was my best friend and companion through my whole childhood.
-
something considered or suggested to be particularly useful or valuable.
When it comes to saving for retirement, compound interest is your new best friend.
Your local piano tuner could be your best friend when buying a piano.
Etymology
Origin of best friend
First recorded before 1000
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A married couple lived next to their best friend for years.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
The first time Leigh Digons saw the Backstreet Boys, she was 15, with her mom and best friend.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
"It's been tough when you lose your best friend early and he suffered with cancer three times, which sometimes feels a little bit unfair," he said.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
This is the first time I’ve mentioned it in an interview, because it’s not like he was my best friend, but it was very visceral and very real.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
I looked for my best friend, Charlie Parr, but didn’t see him.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.