best friend

American  

[best frend] / ˈbɛst ˈfrɛnd /

noun

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of best friend

First recorded before 1000

Example Sentences

Kerr and her best friend had spent hundreds of dollars preparing for Barbie Dream Fest, a three-day event that organizers touted as a chance for fans to “live the dream life.”

From Los Angeles Times

What with her being my mom’s best friend, you’d think she was maybe spying for my parents, but more often, her presence was like wearing a life preserver.

From Literature

“Please? She’s your best friend. If she cared about you, she’d want you to do what you want.”

From Literature

"I can literally finish his sentences and he knows exactly on air when I'm having a bit of a struggle and don't know what to do next," Mills once said of his best friend.

From BBC

“We grew up best friends from the beginning, and that’s never changed,” Jordan says.

From Los Angeles Times