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Slang file #019Cooling offTexting

What does BFF mean?

Say itbee-ef-EF/ˌbiː.ɛfˈɛf/noun

Stands for
  1. BBest
  2. FFriend
  3. FForever

A very close friend, usually your best friend.

Written by the Second Language TeamWritten

BFF is short for best friend forever. It means your closest friend, the person you text first with good news or bad news. Merriam-Webster defines it simply as “a very close friend” [1]. You will see it in texts, birthday posts, and photo captions, and adults often use it as a joke.

Say it letter by letter: bee-ef-EF. It is informal but never rude. It is often linked with girls and young women, and one dictionary says a BFF is “typically a girl’s” best friend [2]. Anyone can use it, though, in both American and British English.

Word stats

How casual
Casual and friendly, but no secret. Almost every adult knows it.
OK at work
Fine as a joke in a work chat. Leave it out of reports and emails to clients.
Grandma-safe
Completely safe. It is about friendship, and every grandma approves of friendship.
Cringe risk
Medium. Calling an adult friend your BFF can sound like a note passed in middle school. As a joke, it sounds fine.
Freshness
Fewer people look it up than last year. Many younger people now say “bestie” instead.

Spotted in the wild

Text with Mom · Sunday, 6:15 pm
  1. Momwho is the girl in all your photos from the trip?
  2. Youthat’s Ana!! my BFF since 3rd grade, you’ve met her like 50 times
  3. Momoh she cut her hair! tell her hi ❤️

What it means here: Ana is your best friend, and has been since you were children.

Instagram caption
  1. jess.and.coffee15 years, 3 cities, 1 terrible haircut I let her give me. Happy birthday to my BFF 💕

What it means here: A birthday post for Jess’s closest friend. Birthdays are the most common place to see BFF.

Work chat · #it-help
  1. Youmy laptop died 10 minutes before my presentation 😭
  2. Marcobringing you a spare one now
  3. YouMarco you are officially my new BFF

What it means here: A joke: Marco is not really your best friend, you are just very thankful.

How to use it

  • my BFFMy BFF and I are going to the beach this weekend.
  • be BFFs (with someone)They met in college and have been BFFs ever since.
  • my new BFF (joking)The barista gave me a free cookie. She’s my new BFF.
  • something is your BFFIn winter, a good blanket is your BFF.
  • BFF + nounWe bought matching BFF bracelets when we were twelve.

Don’t say it like this

  • Sounds offShe is my BFF friend.

    Say thisShe is my BFF.

    The second F already means “friend”, so “BFF friend” says friend twice.

  • Sounds offAna and I are BFF.

    Say thisAna and I are BFFs.

    For two or more people, add -s, like “best friends”.

  • Sounds offAna is my BF.

    Say thisAna is my BFF.

    BF usually means “boyfriend”. Dropping one F changes the story completely.

  • Sounds offIn my essay: My BFF taught me to be patient.

    Say thisIn my essay: My best friend taught me to be patient.

    BFF is informal. In school essays and formal writing, use the full phrase.

BFF or not?

Is each of these BFF? Pick an answer to find out.

  1. You and Lina have been friends since you were six. You talk almost every day and tell her everything.

  2. A coworker brings you coffee on a terrible Monday, and you text her, “you’re my new BFF.”

  3. You follow a singer online and love her music, but you have never met her.

  4. A girl at school acts nice to you but secretly competes with you about everything.

The BFF family

  • bestieBest friend, said in a warm, playful way.BFF’s younger cousin, who is on every social app.
  • frenemySomeone who acts like a friend but is also a rival.The “BFF” who somehow forgets to invite you.
  • best friendThe full, plain phrase behind BFF.Works everywhere, from a text to a wedding speech.

Where it came from

  1. 1978Merriam-Webster dates the first known use of BFF to 1978 [1]. It comes from the first letters of “best friends forever.” Dictionaries do not say who first used it.
  2. 2010The Oxford American dictionary adds BFF, defined as “a girl’s best friend.” Other new words that year include “unfriend” and “hashtag.” [3]
  3. TodayBFF is in major dictionaries, and people use it for old friends, helpful coworkers, and even their slow cookers.

Can BFF be a joke?

Yes, and adults use it this way a lot. Dictionary.com notes that BFF is sometimes used jokingly [2]. Besides your real best friend, BFF can mean:

  • Someone who just helped you. The person who lent you a phone charger is your “new BFF” for the day.
  • A close ally. News writers sometimes call a group’s allies its BFFs, as in “the oil lobby and its BFFs in Congress” [2], often with a little sarcasm.
  • A useful thing. A slow cooker or a warm blanket can be “your BFF.”

How do you know which one it is? Look at who or what is being called a BFF. A friend of fifteen years is a real BFF. Someone you met this morning, or a kitchen machine, is a joke.

Sources

  1. BFF Definition & MeaningMerriam-Webster
  2. BFF Definition & MeaningDictionary.com
  3. BFF, Hashtag, Unfriend and Other Additions to the Oxford DictionaryCBS News

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