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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Women have little voice in this community of stale, disappointed men, including the local cops who are her father’s best friends. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026 Accenture research found that 74% of consumers would trust a personal AI agent more than their best friend to make a purchase on their behalf. — Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Centered on six best friends living and working in Manhattan, the show saw Kudrow starring as Phoebe Buffay opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 Jeremy Saulnier certainly did after the actor saw the filmmaker’s breakout self- and crowd-funded revenge thriller, Blue Ruin (2013), starring his childhood best friend Macon Blair. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing best friend

Rhymes for best friend

See All Rhymes for best friend

Browse Nearby Words

best foot
best friend
best girl
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Best friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/best%20friend. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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