best friend
Americannoun
-
best friends
plural
-
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
She’s my best friend, and I’m the happiest I have ever been when I’m with her, but I have also never felt so supported and safe, ever.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
He doesn’t carry a U.S. passport, but he believes America is the best friend the Chinese people have.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The announcement that he was leaving the national team came shortly after the death of his father, Jorge, Messi’s first coach, primary agent and best friend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Morgan's younger sister, Caeila Dorsett, described her as a "super bubbly" and sociable person; a "built in best friend" from the day she was born.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
She’s my best friend, and sometimes it’s worth it to break a rule or two for the people you love the most.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
