best friend

noun

plural best friends
1
: a person's closest and dearest friend
She's my best 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

Examples of best friend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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One of the biggest swings taken since Disney+ set up in the UK, A Thousand Blows stars Stephen Graham and The Crown’s Erin Doherty and follows the fortunes of Hezekiah and his best friend Alec (Francis Lovehall), who arrive from Jamaica to the English capital. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025 This inclination to honor such losses more officially can in part be attributed to the novelty of celebrity, but human’s best friend seems to have taken on greater personal and cultural significance in general in recent years. Maya Salam, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025 These are the parents of your children's best friend at school, right? Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2025 But as one of her best friends of 50 years says in the film, life is not perfect, unfortunately. Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for best friend 

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 16 Feb. 2025.

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