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
William GieseLycra-cotton leggings and tunic tops are the pregnant woman's best friend, sartorially speaking.—Anne Reeks
Anne ReeksWhen cops bang on the door, the toilet is a drug dealer's best friend.—Frederick Kaufman
Frederick KaufmanExamples of best friend in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dowdle heard from Malik Davis, his fellow running back last year and one of his best friends.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Even with thousands of friends, Mary's best friend of all was her husband, Dan.
—Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
When his best friend — only friend — Ray (Liam Oh) leaves the Air Force Academy and enlists in the Marines, Cameron learns about the buddy system guaranteeing that friends who enlist together can do basic training together.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
In the movie, June Squibb plays an elderly Jewish woman who stumbles into a support group at the local Jewish Community Center and adopts her best friend’s experiences as her own.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for best friend
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.
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Even with thousands of friends, Mary's best friend of all was her husband, Dan.
—Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
When his best friend — only friend — Ray (Liam Oh) leaves the Air Force Academy and enlists in the Marines, Cameron learns about the buddy system guaranteeing that friends who enlist together can do basic training together.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
In the movie, June Squibb plays an elderly Jewish woman who stumbles into a support group at the local Jewish Community Center and adopts her best friend’s experiences as her own.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for best friend
Cite this Entry
“Best friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/best%20friend. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share