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• darling
  darling

  noun

  a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.
• Darling
  Darling

  noun

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

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

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."

Example Sentences

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

Darling Ingredients converts waste into fuel and fertilizer, with its stock rising 1.7% Thursday and 76% year-to-date in 2026.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

“How does it make me feel? Really angry,” Darling Allen, who is advising Francescut’s campaign, said of Curtis’ allegations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Two days later, Mr. Mandelson recommended that “Jamie”—possibly Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase—should “mildly threaten” Darling on the subject.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

They were kind and sweet to Darling; they were forbearing and patient with one another.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck