best friend
Best friend (noun) means the one person you are closest to outside your family, whom you trust most, tell things you tell nobody else, and choose to spend the most time with. Example: “Priya has been my best friend since we were eleven.”
How to Use Best friend
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe person you are closest to and trust most.
Neutral. Bestie and BFF are the casual forms; BFF originated in text and is now used ironically as often as sincerely.
You can have more than one close friend but normally only one best friend; if you name several, say 'we're best friends' or 'one of my closest friends'.
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Priya has been my _____ since we were eleven.
Related Words
Rhymes for best friend
See all rhymes for best friend →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a best friend and a close friend?
A close friend is someone you trust and see often, and you can have several. A best friend is the single closest of those, the default person you tell first and call in a crisis. The distinction is about ranking, not warmth.
What is the difference between BFF and best friend?
BFF stands for best friends forever and means the same thing, but it is informal, came out of text messaging and is often used lightly or jokingly. Best friend is what you would say in serious conversation or in writing.
Can you have more than one best friend?
Grammatically it is a superlative, so strictly there is only one. In practice people often say 'my best friends' about a small group, and nobody objects; it just signals a tier rather than a single ranking.