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.
It would be like a best friend who’s always there for you and endlessly helpful.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 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
Wales captain Jac Morgan has been praised for leading from the front when playing for Ospreys the week after the death of his cousin and "best friend" Harri.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Aryan Simhadri, who portrays Percy’s best friend Grover Underwood in the series, spoke out last year about an unsettling encounter with a handsy fan when a group of “40 drunk college girls” recognized him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
“This is for your best friend, Titus,” I add.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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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.