Bestie
Your best friend.
- Origin: first recorded 1990–95, per Dictionary.com
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Millennials (born 1981–1996). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
A bestie is your best friend: the person you tell first, the one who gets the late-night call. Dictionary.com defines it simply as “a person’s best friend,” and Cambridge gives the same meaning, noting the British versions bezzie and bezzie mate.
Where it comes from
The word is best plus the familiar -ie ending, the same pattern as sweetie or cutie. Dictionary.com gives 1990–95 as the period when it was first recorded.
For years it stayed casual speech. The explanation on the Dictionary.com page says it “began appearing in dictionaries as a slang term some time after 2010.”
Who says it now
The translator files bestie under Millennials by its own convention. In our observation the word is no longer tied to one generation and is ordinary informal English today. Dictionary.com pairs it with BFF (best friends forever), which you can usually swap in without changing the meaning.
Tone
Warm, affectionate and a little cute. Between friends it is usually sincere. Said to a stranger (“Okay, bestie”) it can be playful or slightly sarcastic, depending on the tone of voice.
What adults hear, what kids mean
A grandparent might hear bestie as baby talk. For many kids it is simply the everyday word for a best friend, and the title can matter: being someone’s bestie may be a big deal, and losing the spot can sting.
How to use it
You can say “my bestie” about one person or “my besties” about a small close group, and it also works as a friendly form of address, as in “Thanks, bestie.”
Two examples, written by us:
- My bestie drove four hours to help me move.
- We have been besties since second grade.
How to answer it
If your kid introduces someone as their bestie, use the word back: “Nice to finally meet the bestie.” If someone calls you “bestie” in a flat voice during an argument, they may be being sarcastic, and it is better to answer the point than the word.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Bestie under Millennials for the idea of a friend. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
- BoomersBuddy
- Gen XHomie
- Gen XCrew
- MillennialsBestie
Related slang
- Lit (Millennials): Exciting, excellent. Also has an older meaning: drunk.
- Kick it (Gen X): To relax and hang out, usually with friends.
- Slay (Gen Z): To do something brilliantly or look amazing.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Dictionary.com
“a person's best friend”
“First recorded in 1990–95”
“it began appearing in dictionaries as a slang term some time after 2010”
- Cambridge Dictionary
“someone's best friend”