Definition of the word best friend

1

: a person’s closest and dearest friend

We have been best friends since high school.

2

: a person’s most desirable or valuable possession or resource

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but gold is more affordable.William Giese

Lycra-cotton leggings and tunic tops are the pregnant woman’s best friend, sartorially speaking.Anne Reeks

When cops bang on the door, the toilet is a drug dealer’s best friend.Frederick Kaufman

see also man’s best friend

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

In yet another iconic romantic comedy, Kathryn returns to her funny best friend role.


Olivia Evans, Women’s Health, 6 Apr. 2023





That’s Emerald Fennell’s Midge, Barbie’s longtime best friend who was first introduced during the toy line’s vintage days.


Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2023





His best friend is Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) a barbarian warrior with a heart of gold, also now living a life of skullduggery.


Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023





The brainchild of best friends Arden Gilfillan and Margaux Reaume, Argaux launched in 2015 as a luxe online wine destination.


Samantha Simon, ELLE, 31 Mar. 2023





Sennott and Edebiri play best friends PJ and Josie, high schoolers in a nondescript town in a not-so-distant past.


Elizabeth Peng, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023





In the carousel, Kardashian also added playful pictures taken on the streets of London and in pubs with her pals, including best friend Allison Statter.


Rosa Sanchez, Harper’s BAZAAR, 30 Mar. 2023





Ivanova, another one of Gershkovich’s best friends, echoed her colleagues.


Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2023





The attack killed 21-year-old best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, along with their housemate, Xana Kernodle, and her visiting boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, both 20.


Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 30 Mar. 2023



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘best friend.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of best friend was
in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near best friend

Cite this Entry

“Best friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/best%20friend. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

Share

Last Updated:
8 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun 1. best friend - the one friend who is closest to youbest friend — the one friend who is closest to you

friend — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust; «he was my best friend at the university»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Mentioned in
?

  • adversity
  • alter ego
  • amigo
  • anguish
  • associate
  • began
  • begin
  • beginner
  • beginning
  • begun
  • best
  • best man
  • bestie
  • bestseller
  • bezzie
  • BFF
  • break someone’s heart
  • brother
  • buddy

References in classic literature
?

(little as he deserved it) in his lifetime, she naturally remains the truest and best friend to his memory now.

I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations.

«Bah!» said Milady, with a smile that belonged only to herself; «you forget that I am her best friend

No, it is not fair for poor Harlequin, the best friend that I have in the world, to die in my place!»

When they seem frightened or a little unsteady on my back I go as smooth and as quiet as old pussy when she is after a bird; and when they are all right I go on again faster, you see, just to use them to it; so don’t you trouble yourself preaching to me; I am the best friend and the best riding-master those children have.

She is the first person in this house; she’s my best friend,» cried the prince.

I’m about the best friend she has on earth, I reckon, and she’s never uttered a word of complaint to me.

I am your best friend. Have I not protected your honor as though it were my own?»

He smiled much less; when he said «Exactly» it was more often an introduction to a dissentient opinion than in those submissive bachelor days; and Dorothea found to her surprise that she had to resolve not to be afraid of him—all the more because he was really her best friend. He disagreed with her now.

Ozma’s my best friend, you know; and I’m a Princess myself,» she announced, earnestly.

«You, who have been the best friend I ever had in my life Want gratitude to you!Nobody is equal to you!I care for nobody as I do for you!Oh!

The captain resumed standing in contemplation before that smiling dead man, who seemed to have burnished his last thought, to give his best friend, the man he had loved next to Raoul, a gracious welcome even beyond life.

Dictionary browser
?

  • Besprinkler
  • besprinkling
  • Bespurt
  • Bess
  • Bessarabia
  • Bessel
  • Bessel Friedrich Wilhelm
  • Bessemer
  • Bessemer converter
  • Bessemer Henry
  • Bessemer process
  • Bessemer steel
  • Bessera
  • Bessera elegans
  • Besseya
  • Besseya alpina
  • Bessie Smith
  • Bessy cerca
  • best
  • Best and Greatest
  • Best bower
  • best boy
  • Best Charles Herbert
  • best end
  • best evidence rule
  • best friend
  • best girl
  • best man
  • best of all
  • best of breed
  • best practice
  • best seller
  • Bestad
  • bestain
  • bestar
  • best-ball
  • best-before date
  • best-case
  • bestead
  • bested
  • besti
  • bestial
  • bestialise
  • bestialism
  • bestiality
  • bestialize
  • bestially
  • bestiarian
  • bestiarist
  • bestiary
  • bestick

Full browser
?

  • Best fit line
  • Best fit line
  • Best fit line
  • Best fit line
  • Best Fit Rate Routing
  • Best Fit Straight Line
  • Best Florida Beer Championship
  • Best Foam Fabricators, Inc.
  • Best Food Day
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • best foot forward
  • Best Football Player Available
  • Best for Gaming
  • Best for Missouri Organization
  • Best for You in Europe Ltd.
  • Best Fortune Property and Loan Fund
  • Best Fraternal Regards
  • Best Freakin Friend
  • Best Freakin’ Friends Ever
  • Best Freaking Friend for Life
  • Best Free Keylogger
  • Best Free Search Engine List
  • Best Frenemies Forever
  • best frequency
  • best frequency
  • best friend
  • Best Friend (disambiguation)
  • Best Friend Club
  • Best Friend Ever
  • Best Friend for Infinity
  • Best Friend for Life
  • Best Friend for Life and after Life
  • Best Friend for Right Now
  • Best Friend for Today
  • best friend forever
  • Best Friend Forever and for Life
  • Best Friend Forever Not
  • Best Friend in the Family
  • Best Friend in the Whole Wide World
  • Best Friend of Mine
  • Best Friend Pet Adoption
  • Best Friend with Benefits
  • Best Friend Zone
  • Best Friend’s Boyfriend
  • Best Friend’s Brother
  • Best Friend’s Date
  • Best Friend’s Girlfriend
  • Best Friends ’til We Die
  • Best Friends (disambiguation)
  • Best Friends Always
  • Best Friends Always And Forever
  • Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
  • Best Friends Animal Society
  • Best Friends at Work
  • Best Friends for All Eternity
  • Best Friends for Eternity

Educalingo cookies are used to personalize ads and get web traffic statistics. We also share information about the use of the site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

Download the app
educalingo

I never wanted to show my butt, and I always had a problem with it — I’d cover up when I was younger. It wasn’t till I got with my husband that I started to change all that. He compliments me all the time, and when your best friend compliments you, it gives you confidence and makes you want to do stuff in life.

Coco Austin

section

PRONUNCIATION OF BEST FRIEND

facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BEST FRIEND

Best friend is a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES BEST FRIEND MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Best Friend

Best Friend or Best Friends may refer to: ▪ Best friend, someone with whom one shares the strongest possible kind of friendship ▪ Best Friend, a 1976 Broadway play by Michael Sawyer ▪ Best Friends Animal Society, an animal rescue sanctuary in the United States…


Definition of best friend in the English dictionary

The definition of best friend in the dictionary is dearest friend.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH BEST FRIEND

Synonyms and antonyms of best friend in the English dictionary of synonyms

Translation of «best friend» into 25 languages

online translator

TRANSLATION OF BEST FRIEND

Find out the translation of best friend to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of best friend from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «best friend» in English.

Translator English — Chinese


最好的朋友

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish


mejor amigo

570 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi


सबसे अच्छा दोस्त

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic


أفضل صديق

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian


лучший друг

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese


melhor amigo

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali


ভাল বন্ধু

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French


meilleur ami

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay


kawan baik

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — German


bester Freund

180 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese


親友

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean


가장 친한 친구

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese


Paling apik kanca

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese


người bạn tốt nhất

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil


சிறந்த நண்பர்

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi


सर्वोत्तम मित्र

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish


en iyi arkadaş

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian


migliore amico

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish


najlepszy przyjaciel

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian


кращий друг

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian


cel mai bun prieten

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek


Ο καλύτερος φίλος

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans


beste vriend

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish


bästa vän

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian


beste venn

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of best friend

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «BEST FRIEND»

The term «best friend» is very widely used and occupies the 9.328 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «best friend» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of best friend

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «best friend».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «BEST FRIEND» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «best friend» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «best friend» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about best friend

10 QUOTES WITH «BEST FRIEND»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word best friend.

I knew Scotty was going to win. At the beginning of the episode, I was like, ‘Scotty, are you ready to win?’. I knew he was going to in my heart. I accepted it. I couldn’t pick a more perfect person to get second place to. He’s my best friend.

I never wanted to show my butt, and I always had a problem with it — I’d cover up when I was younger. It wasn’t till I got with my husband that I started to change all that. He compliments me all the time, and when your best friend compliments you, it gives you confidence and makes you want to do stuff in life.

I had a shih tzu dog for 12 years — we were different in size but he was certainly man’s best friend, he was my little guy.

I wouldn’t say my mother was my best friend, because that sounds odd, but we have a really tight bond and she is my friend on Facebook. Although she only goes on it to check up on me and sometimes we argue about it.

I love getting my nails done. My mom’s best friend is a manicurist. When I was little, she’d do little paintings on my nails, like flowers.

I worship pianos like they are prize diamonds, and I never willfully do damage to them. But I grew up playing guitars, and you treat a guitar like a best friend or a little brother or a lover you have a tempestuous relationship with.

I was never the ‘babe,’ so I knew I’d never get those big roles. I’d always be the best friend or the quirky sidekick.

I’m named after a horse. My mom’s best friend had a horse named Brooke, so my dad suggested ‘Brooklyn’ as a more formal version, and it just stuck — and now I live in Brooklyn part-time, so go figure.

You know, I think everything I do cinematically for the rest of my life will probably have some direct route back to Jonathan. But I love him to death. He’s like my best friend and my big brother.

I’m tired of playing freaking cha-chas, the sassy CIA agent, the best friend homegirl. I’m tired of that!

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BEST FRIEND»

Discover the use of best friend in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to best friend and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

1

How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog …

Like no other book, this guide can help you understand and appreciate your dog’s nature as well as his or her distinct personality — and in so doing, it can significantly enrich the life you share with your dog.

2

Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and …

Featuring such options as Puppy Pesto, Bacon Yappetizers and Mutt Loaf, a cookbook by the creator of the «DogFoodDude» blog provides natural-foods recipes for dogs based on the nutritional guidelines of veterinary manuals.

What makes a best friend? Illustrations and brief text describe how best friends treat each other in this bold and quirky book. Full color.

4

Hunter’s Best Friend at School

Hunter the raccoon is not sure what he should do when his best friend Stripe starts acting up at preschool.

6

How to be Your Own Best Friend: A Conversation with Two …

«Sensible advice on how to give up childhood, accept yourself and your own maturity and deal with life on your own two feet.

Mildred Newman, Bernard Berkowitz, Jean Owen, 1971

This internationally bestselling novel tells an enchanting tale of life’s most unpredictable loves and heartaches, and the unforgettable bond between a single woman and an extraordinary five-year-old girl.

8

A Dog’s Best Friend: An Activity Book for Kids and Their Dogs

In addition, A Dog’s Best Friend includes information about dog obedience training; a reading list of children’s animal books; listings of Web sites, pet-care resources, and animal organizations and events; and amusing trivia for dog lovers …

9

500 Reasons Why You’re My Best Friend

She’s your most dependable ally. These are just some of the characteristics of every woman’s best girlfriend. And artist-illustrator Lorraine Bodger deftly describes plenty of others in her list book, 500 Reasons Why You’re My Best Friend.

High school classmates Gracie and Savanna are total opposites and best friends, until Savanna’s lying and manipulative behavior begin to bother Gracie, who wonders if it is time she started thinking for herself.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BEST FRIEND»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term best friend is used in the context of the following news items.

Geno Smith: Brandon Marshall is “a quarterback’s best friend

“He’s a quarterback’s best friend … For one, he’s a veteran guy,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “He understands the game on and off the … «NBCSports.com, Jul 15»

Bad dog! French bulldog’s best friend snitches on her

It is something that has happened to every dog owner; you come home to find a mess. Abby, a French bulldog, decided that she would take out … «kfor.com, Jul 15»

Quiz: What celeb friendship duo are you and your best friend?

Friendship is a beautiful thing, but having a best friend is even better. Who else knows exactly how to drag you out of a bad mood? Who else … «Sugarscape, Jul 15»

A Bedbug’s Best Friend

Simon Fraser University researcher Regine Gries got closer to developing a bedbug lure by feeding lab insects her own blood. Laura Parker’s … «Pacific Standard, Jul 15»

Serena beats ‘best friend in world’ to reach last eight

“It’s hard to feel excited beating someone you root for all the time and you love and is your best friend in the whole world,” said Serena. “But you … «Wimbledon, Jul 15»

Feltham dad’s fundraiser for son’s best friend

Around 150 people, including Jac from Hanworth, and his best friend Shay Braham, 18, of Feltham, along with family, friends and colleagues, … «getwestlondon, Jul 15»

Woman left with facial bite mark in brutal attack – by best friend’s

A woman was left with a bite mark on her face after a brutal attack at the hands of her best pal’s boyfriend. Stephen Yoxall, 27, pushed Kayley … «Sunderland Echo, Jul 15»

Pet adoption 101: How and why to adopt a new best friend

I remember growing up I asked for a puppy for Christmas every single year. My mom never caved though. She said it was too big of a … «Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jul 15»

TOWIE’s Gemma Collins throws a drink over best friend Bobby Norris

TOWIE’s Gemma Collins throws a drink over best friend Bobby Norris. Published Monday, Jul 6 2015, 08:50 BST | By Olivia Heath | Add comment. Recommend … «Reveal, Jul 15»

She doesn’t trust guy’s female best friend

She doesn’t trust guy’s female best friend. Originally published July 5, 2015 at 6:15 am Updated July 1, 2015 at 4:25 pm. A couple’s relationship is swell, except … «The Seattle Times, Jul 15»

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Best friend [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/best-friend>. Apr 2023 ».

Download the educalingo app


Discover all that is hidden in the words on educalingo

Ben Jonson, Francis Meres, Henry Chettle, Robert Greene, Richard Barnfield, Gabriel Harvey, Francis Beaumont best-friend of John Fletcher, one of Shakespeare’s collaborators are among the many people known to have written about or alluded to Shakespeare. ❋ Jonathan Hobratsch (2011)

If nothing else, the first season established that Friday Night Lights was anchored not by the players, but by the Taylors, a husband-wife, best-friend pairing unlike anything else on TV. ❋ Unknown (2011)

One was that her speaking voice strikes the same fun, casual, best-friend tone as her blog. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Ed Bus sat down with «his best-friend,» former 42nd Ward Alderman Burt Natarus last week to discuss the mayoral race. ❋ The Huffington Post (2011)

Jennifer: There are some successful folks who are husband-wife or sibling teams or even best-friend teams, where one party is a professional illustrator and the other writes. ❋ David Henry Sterry (2011)

When the course finished, we’d already entered best-friend territory. ❋ Unknown (2012)

This time around, our heroine continues to face the disdain of her obnoxious heroic peers and some fractures in her relationship with best-friend Ninjette and boyfriend Thugboy. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Little things about her I loved and will miss: that she had a partnership with her best-friend from Junior High that they called “The Scribble Sisters.” ❋ Unknown (2009)

Examples of OFGs include finding out you just took the wrong job, having a fallout with a family member or best-friend, or losing large sums of money. ❋ Susan Pease Gadoua (2011)

The press release also announced that Jon Bernthal has been cast as Officer Shane, a key player and best-friend of the protagonist, Office Rick Grimes. ❋ Unknown (2010)

My sister Jill is a talented photographer and a best-friend sister. ❋ Unknown (2010)

    Anyway, rather than talk to me, my now ex best-friend waged war through her media contacts, providing intimate and embarrassing details about drug filled nights, eating disorders and mental crashes. ❋ Unknown (2010)

When I go through [hard times], there is [only one] person who is there for me no matter what and that actually makes me better, that’s [my best friend]. ❋ CaliGirl07 (2011)

[Ali] and [Emily] are best friends ❋ Pandoraluther (2012)

Best Friend: [Someone] your [thinking] about [right now] ❋ Caramel Yum (2016)

You are [my best friend], I have [only one] because [best] means one. ❋ Milameter7 Follow Me On Tiktok (2019)

[I love my best friend] [because i can] always trust her to be there for me when i need a [shoulder to cry on]. ❋ ItsTheRealMe101 (2017)

Girl 1: OMG! I have this [bestie] or if you want to say [a best friend] she is SO AMAZING!
Girl 2: [Oh thats nice] I wish I had a bestie. ❋ Watermelon 2.0 :) (2020)

Best friend: hey, [how are you]
Me: I’m great I [couldn’t be] better
Best friend: no, there’s something wrong with you don’t [try and] hide it.
Me: OMG how can you tell ❋ Wisegirl95 (2014)

Allison: Hey [Best-Friend]!
Jamie: No she’s my-best friend!
Allison: SHUT UP [BIOTCH]!
*Fight…*
*[Best-friend] comes…*
Best-friend: [WDF]. ❋ Rawr-means-Iluveyou-In-Dino (2010)

person A: damn, those girls are always together! are they gay or something?
[person B]: no, they’re best friends, bitch.
[LTH]. [forever & a day]. ❋ Heavy, Bby. (2008)

I [THOUGHT] YOU WERE [MY BEST FRIEND]!!!!!!! ❋ HOW COULD SHE!!!! (2017)

  • Examples

  • Origin

  • Usage

Pop Culture dictionary

or bestie or bff
[best frend]

or [best-ee]

or [bee-ef-ef]

Published April 5, 2018

What does best friend mean?

Best friend is a term of endearment for one’s closest and most cherished friend.

Where does best friend come from?

best friend

WallpaperBrowse

Given the social and psychological importance of friendship to the human experience, it may not be surprising to learn that record of the phrase best friend can be found in the early 1200s, with evidence in Old English of reference to the concept even earlier.

The significance of best friendships, especially in childhood and adolescence, has inspired informal terms, including the shortened bestie and the text-speak BFF (“best friends forever”), both emerging at least by the 1990s. The deliberately baby-talkish best fwend also enjoys some colloquial usage.

The phrase is featured in several prominent popular songs, from rock group Queen’s 1976 “You’re My Best Friend” to rapper Young Thug’s 2015 single “Best Friend.” Popular books and films have featured best friend in their titles (and subject matters) as well, including the 1982 film Best Friends starring Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds.

Some schools in the US, however, have actually considered banning the term best friends because they fear it might exclude other students or promote unhealthy attachments.

Examples of best friend

The dog who lost her best friend was so lonely — until she got 4 foster kittens

@dodo, January, 2018

Thank you @BarackObama for the beautiful flowers waiting for me in the office this morning. You’re my best friend, biggest fan, and getting notes and flowers from you will never get old.

Michelle Obama, Instagram, January, 2018

One of the worst things that happens to adults is that they forget what it’s like to be a kid. They forget how frightening childhood can be, and how nice it is when you have a best friend, how lonely it is when you don’t.

John Kass, Chicago Tribune, January, 2018

Who uses best friend?

While it is widely used by people throughout their lives, the identification of persons as one’s best friend can be more frequent among children and young adults. Thus, use of the phrase can come across as juvenile in certain contexts. However, it is common for spouses to characterize their relationships as being with their best friends.

Bestie and bff enjoy broader use as informal terms for best friends, especially among young to young-adult female writers or speakers.

Best friends aren’t always people. Like man’s best friend—a favorite endearment for our companionship with canines since at least the 1840s. People tend to attribute the best friend label to inanimate objects of value as well. For example, an enthusiastic gamer might jokingly refer to the Nintendo Switch as his best friend.

Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of best friend like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is
rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of best friend
that will help our users expand their word mastery.

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Definition for word stress
  • Definition for word river
  • Definition for word processor
  • Definition for word processing
  • Definition for word problems