darling

¹ American  

[dahr-ling] / ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.

3. a person or thing in great favor; a favorite.

   She was the darling of caf é society.

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adjective

1. very dear; dearly loved.

   my darling child.

2. favorite; cherished.

3. Informal. charming; cute; lovable.

   What a darling baby!

Darling ² American  

[dahr-ling] / ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. Jay Norwood Ding, 1876–1962, U.S. political cartoonist.

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darling ¹ British  

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. a person very much loved: often used as a term of address

2. a favourite

   the teacher's darling

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adjective

1. beloved

2. much admired; pleasing

   a darling hat

Darling ² British  

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Grace. 1815–42, English national heroine, famous for her rescue (1838) of some shipwrecked sailors with her father, a lighthouse keeper

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Other Word Forms

• darlingly adverb
• darlingness noun

Etymology

Origin of darling

before 900; Middle English derling, Old English dēorling. See dear ¹, -ling ¹

Example Sentences

Few are like Cliffwater, which until recently was an investor darling but now finds itself in the hot seat.

From The Wall Street Journal

“One plain, one sugar. Just as ordered. Don’t wait for your darling friend, though—just save her a bite. She’s going to need a bit more time.”

From Literature

Nevertheless, his message dovetailed with some fresh commentary noting how erstwhile darlings of Big Tech, in particular, have been so badly hit that they are now highly attractive.

From MarketWatch

Micron, a recent darling of the semiconductor industry, is now on a nasty six-day losing streak, which has erased about one-quarter of its value.

From Barron's

Micron, a recent darling of the semiconductor industry, is now on a nasty six-day losing streak, which has erased about one-quarter of its value.

From Barron's