Friend vs. Best Friend — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on January 26, 2024
A friend is someone you enjoy spending time with and share a bond, while a best friend is a closer, more intimate confidante and often considered the closest of friends.
Difference Between Friend and Best Friend
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A friend is someone you have a positive relationship with, enjoy socializing with, and share common interests. A best friend, however, shares a deeper emotional bond, often knowing you better than others and being there for you in times of need.
Friends can be part of a larger social circle, offering companionship and shared experiences. Best friends are typically a part of your innermost circle, providing support, trust, and understanding on a deeper level.
With friends, interactions might be regular but not necessarily deeply personal. In contrast, interactions with a best friend are often more frequent, intimate, and involve sharing personal thoughts and feelings.
A friend is someone you might see regularly in social settings, such as school, work, or group activities. A best friend is often the first person you think to share important news with, seek advice from, or turn to in difficult times.
The term 'friend' is used more broadly to describe various levels of companionship, whereas 'best friend' denotes a special status, reflecting a unique and irreplaceable role in one's life.
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Comparison Chart
Emotional Bond
Positive, but not necessarily deep
Deep, intimate, and understanding
Role in Social Circle
Part of larger social group
Innermost circle, often closest confidante
Nature of Interaction
Regular, sometimes superficial
Frequent, intimate, personal
Sharing of Personal Matters
Limited sharing
Extensive sharing of personal thoughts and feelings
Significance
Varied levels of closeness
Unique and irreplaceable role
Compare with Definitions
Friend
A person with whom you share a bond of mutual affection.
I enjoy going to movies with my friend.
Best Friend
A person who has been with you through thick and thin.
My best friend has supported me through all my life's ups and downs.
Friend
A person you are acquainted with in your social circle.
I met my friend through our mutual interest in hiking.
Best Friend
Someone you share your most personal thoughts with.
I always turn to my best friend when I need to talk about my problems.
Friend
Someone you know, like, and trust.
I asked my friend for advice on my project.
Best Friend
A person who knows you deeply and is highly trusted.
My best friend knows all my secrets.
Friend
A companion for social activities.
My friend and I joined the same book club.
Best Friend
An irreplaceable individual in your life.
My best friend is more like family to me.
Friend
Someone you are connected with, often casually.
I have a friend at work who shares my sense of humor.
Best Friend
The first person you think of sharing good or bad news with.
I couldn't wait to tell my best friend about my promotion.
Friend
A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
Friend
A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
Friend
A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
Friend
One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement
Friends of the clean air movement.
Friend
Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.
Friend
(Informal) To add (someone) as a friend on a social networking website.
Friend
(Archaic) To befriend.
Friend
A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.
John and I have been friends ever since we were roommates at college.
Trust is important between friends.
I used to find it hard to make friends when I was shy.
We became friends in the war and remain friends to this day.
We were friends with some girls from the other school and stayed friends with them.
Friend
An associate who provides assistance.
The Automobile Association is every motorist's friend.
The police is every law-abiding citizen's friend.
Friend
A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted.
A friend of a friend;
I added him as a friend on Facebook, but I hardly know
Friend
A person who backs or supports something.
I’m not a friend of cheap wine.
Friend
(informal) An object or idea that can be used for good.
Fruit is your friend.
Friend
Used as a form of address when warning someone.
You’d better watch it, friend.
Friend
(object-oriented programming) A function or class granted special access to the private and protected members of another class.
Friend
(climbing) A spring-loaded camming device.
Friend
(euphemistic) A lover; a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Friend
A relative, a relation by blood or marriage.
Friends agree best at a distance.
Make friends of framet folk.
Friend
To act as a friend to, to befriend; to be friendly to, to help.
Friend
(transitive) To add (a person) to a list of friends on a social networking site; to officially designate (someone) as a friend.
Friend
One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.
Want gives to know the flatterer from the friend.
A friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Friend
One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a term of friendly address.
Friend, how camest thou in hither?
Friend
One who looks propitiously on a cause, an institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.
Friend
One of a religious sect characterized by disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.
America was first visited by Friends in 1656.
Friend
To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend.
Fortune friends the bold.
Friend
A person you know well and regard with affection and trust;
He was my best friend at the university
Friend
An associate who provides assistance;
He's a good ally in fight
They were friends of the workers
Friend
A person with whom you are acquainted;
I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances
We are friends of the family
Friend
A person who backs a politician or a team etc.;
All their supporters came out for the game
They are friends of the library
Friend
A member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)
Common Curiosities
Can best friends have disagreements?
Yes, best friends, like any close relationship, can have disagreements but often work through them.
Can family members be considered best friends?
Yes, many people consider family members, like siblings or parents, as their best friends.
Is it possible to maintain a long-distance best friendship?
Yes, with communication and effort, best friendships can be maintained over long distances.
How do friendships differ from romantic relationships?
Friendships are typically platonic, while romantic relationships involve a romantic and/or physical element.
Can a friend become a best friend?
Yes, often a friend can develop into a best friend over time.
How do I know if someone is a best friend?
A best friend is someone with whom you share a deep, trusting, and intimate bond.
Is it normal to have more than one best friend?
Yes, some people have multiple individuals they consider best friends.
Can best friends have different opinions and still be close?
Absolutely, best friends can have different opinions and respect each other's perspectives.
How many friends do most people have?
The number varies greatly from person to person and depends on individual social needs and circumstances.
Is it important to have a best friend?
While not essential for everyone, having a best friend can provide significant emotional support and companionship.
How often should best friends communicate?
Communication frequency varies; what's important is the quality of communication and mutual understanding.
How can I strengthen my friendship with someone?
Spending quality time together, sharing experiences, and communicating openly can strengthen friendships.
How do you handle conflicts with a best friend?
Address conflicts openly, listen to each other, and try to understand their perspective.
Can introverts have best friends?
Yes, introverts can have best friends with whom they feel comfortable and share a deep connection.
Is trust important in a best friendship?
Trust is one of the most crucial elements of a best friendship.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
