endearing
Americanadjective
-
tending to make dear or beloved.
-
manifesting or evoking affection.
an endearing smile.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of endearing
Explanation
Endearing describes something or someone extremely lovable, like a kitten or your friend's sense of humor. The adjective endearing was originally used in the 1500s to mean "enhancing the value of," and by the 1640s it also meant "making dear or precious." It can still be used both ways, although the second meaning of endearing is most common. Any time you talk about a person or thing that's adorable or extremely likable, you can describe it as endearing.
Vocabulary lists containing endearing
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Genesis Begins Again
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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.
Endearing and typically alone, the people in his paintings could bring to mind Willy Lomans in ill-fitting business suits hunched over paperbacks and Twiggy look-alikes in yellow dresses and groovy white boots.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2021
Endearing moment: Winnie Palmer once accidentally added a "0" to Iron Man's payment check, making it $14,000 instead of $1,400.
From Golf Digest • Dec. 15, 2017
Endearing teen love story is sure to make book fans happy.
From Washington Post • May 18, 2017
Endearing from start to finish, “Miracle on 34th Street” features a stellar cast, flawless screenplay and the affable Gwenn in the Oscar-winning role that defined his legacy.
From Washington Times • Dec. 17, 2015
Endearing qualities that had expired in him long ago seemed to be resuscitated and to animate his ruined features.
From The Price of Love by Bennett, Arnold
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.
