Best Friend: Meaning, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：closest companion (best friend)

best friend 🔊

/ˈbest frend/

The friend you like the most and trust completely, who knows you very well.

Best friend laughing on park bench sharing headphones

closest companion 🔊

➕

/ˈkləʊsɪst kəmˈpænjən/

A person who is one's most trusted and beloved friend, often considered family.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Best' (Old English bēst, superlative of good) + 'friend' (OE frēond, from frēon 'to love')

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'best' as the highest rank among friends, like a champion in your heart.

📖 Example

When I couldn't decide which wedding dress to choose, my best friend’s opinion was the only one I truly listened to. 🔊 When I couldn't decide which wedding dress to choose, my best friend’s opinion was the only one I truly listened to.

🔗 Collocations

my best friend – The friend that is closest to me

childhood best friend – A close friend from one's childhood

supportive best friend – A best friend who offers emotional support

🔄 Synonyms

close friend (n.) – A friend with whom one has a strong bond.

confidant (n.) – A person in whom one confides secrets.

soulmate (n.) – A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

🚫 Antonyms

enemy (n.) – A person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone.

stranger (n.) – A person whom one does not know.

acquaintance (n.) – A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

🌱 Derivatives

BFF (n.) – Best Friend Forever (abbreviation)

bestie (n.) – Informal term for best friend

best friendship (n.) – The state of being best friends

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'best friend' dates to the 17th century, emphasizing a bond above ordinary friendship. The acronym BFF (Best Friends Forever) became popular in the 1990s via teen culture.