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.
In statements read to Southampton Crown Court, his sister Olivia called him her "best friend" and said they had "an unbreakable bond".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“Call Up Nancy” is an anthem for anyone who’s ever had a ride-or-die best friend.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
“You heard about it all the time at parties. My best friend was like, ‘That story is rabbit hole upon rabbit hole upon rabbit hole — no one knows what really happened.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Leslie Ann Reece visited the park in September with her mother, best friend and mother’s best friend.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 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
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.
