darling
noun
a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.
darling
1 American
[dahr-ling]
/ ˈdɑr lɪŋ /
noun
darlings
plural
-
a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.
-
a person or thing in great favor; a favorite.
She was the darling of caf é society.
adjective
-
very dear; dearly loved.
my darling child.
-
favorite; cherished.
-
Informal. charming; cute; lovable.
What a darling baby!
Darling
2
American
[dahr-ling]
/ ˈdɑr lɪŋ /
noun
darling
1
British
/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /
noun
-
a person very much loved: often used as a term of address
-
a favourite
the teacher's darling
adjective
-
beloved
-
much admired; pleasing
a darling hat
Darling
2
British
/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of darling
before 900; Middle English derling, Old English dēorling. See dear 1, -ling 1
Explanation
Use the word darling for someone you love or care for deeply. Your sweet old grandmother probably calls you darling. You can describe someone as being your darling, or address them that way: "I missed you so much while I was working on that fishing boat, darling!" Another way to use the word is for a generally lovable person: "Everyone adores Timmy, he's such a darling." The Old English root is deorling, a diminutive of deor, "dear."
Vocabulary lists containing darling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There is no question many people will have such machines in their homes eventually,” Darling told me, “and develop real emotional connections to them.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
"It feels good that we have a team that actually could win something for us," said Darling.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Darling was a Newcastle United fan, and named his dog after Toon Army hero Shearer.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Born Nedra Talley on Jan. 27, 1946, in New York City, Ross started singing as a child and joined cousins Veronica and Estelle Bennett to form the family act the Darling Sisters.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
“We’ll get out. Darling, you shouldn’t take silly chances. Tell me how did you come from Mestre to Milan?”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
