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.
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

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

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Cite this Entry

“Best friend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/best%20friend. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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