best pal
9
1.0
- noun
- Informal
:
mejor amigo
- Off the field, Kenrick spends a lot of time at home chilling with his best pal, Max.
- best pal's boyfriend
- the best pal you've ever
- best pal in the whole
But nobody else outside a small group of people from Leeds, and some of them are best pals.
- But nobody else outside a small group of people from Leeds, and some of them are best pals.
- Now that made me super outlandish for you, maybe it's you just say to your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your cat, your dog, your best pal.
Examples
-
I met my best pal, Phil, about ten years ago through our mutual wife.
Fiction book (1997) -
My best pal, off on the dream vacation of a lifetime... ...while I sit here and rot alone.
-
I mean, you were my best pal!
-
You were the best pal a guy could ever have!
-
I told you that one of the judges is my best pal?
-
Shirley is my best pal who comes to all the clubs with me.
Fiction book (2002) -
A couple of best pals taking a much-needed break.
Blog text (30) -
You're there, Rosie, the best pal a guy ever had!
-
You're my best pal.
-
My best pal and I have been friends since childhood.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A person you know well and like who is not family or a romantic partner
∞
1.0
A close friend you spend time with
∞
1.0
A close friend you spend time with
940
1.0
A person you trust most and talk to about everything
78
7.8
A person you like and trust, often a close friend
62
6.4
A close friend you spend a lot of time with
19
7.2
A very close friend you trust and talk to often
10
1.0
A person who always supports you and can be trusted
1
2.8
A person or animal who stays with and supports you in hard times
A loyal person who helps you in good and bad times
How Close
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person's closest friend' is directly and transparently derived from combining the superlative adjective 'best' (most close/highest degree) with 'pal' (friend). This adjective + noun composition follows a standard, predictable pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Best pal joins best, meaning 'most special', and pal, a friendly slang word for 'friend'. Picture your one most special friend wearing a ribbon or standing at the top of your list, and you can see why best pal means your closest, dearest friend.