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.
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
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
He said she was his "best friend" and was the "heart and soul" of their family.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
"This week I suddenly lost my cousin and best friend Harri," wrote Morgan under a picture of the pair at Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
But then school ended, and he and Leo, my other best friend, went to sleep-away soccer camp for the whole summer, and now we’re in junior high and haven’t seen much of each other.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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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.