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.
“Instagram can be your best friend as a Realtor,” she adds.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
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 • Apr. 1, 2026
Catherine Balck has many acquaintances and casual friends, but only one best friend, Linda Coss.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Robert Michael Morris, who played Mickey, Valerie’s hairdresser and best friend, in earlier seasons, passed away in 2017; Jack O’Brien, as Tommy, occupies a version of that space here.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
‘I don’t feel so bad about it since I’ve been hanging around with Gabi. I think she might be my best friend now.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
