endearment

American  

[en-deer-muhnt] / ɛnˈdɪər mənt /

noun

1. the act of endearing.

2. the state of being endeared.

3. something that endears; an action or utterance showing affection.

   to murmur endearments.

---

endearment British  

/ ɪnˈdɪəmənt /

noun

1. something that endears, such as an affectionate utterance

2. the act or process of endearing or the condition of being endeared

---

Etymology

Origin of endearment

First recorded in 1605–15; endear + -ment

Explanation

Next time you cringe when a family member calls you by your childhood nickname in public, remember, Snoopy, it's just a term of endearment — meant to show affection, not make you miserably embarrassed. When you break apart the word endearment, you probably recognize the word endear, a verb that means "to make admired or beloved." The suffix -ment can turn a verb into a noun, so endearment is something that shows affection or admiration, like calling someone "my love" instead of his or her name or playfully whacking your brother on the head when you walk by where he sits, doing his homework.

Example Sentences

Even so, it's not getting any real Oscar buzz, despite Jim Parsons' aping Shirley MacLaine in "Terms of Endearment."

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2022

It took more money than Romancing the Stone, Splash and Oscar best picture winner Terms Of Endearment.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2022

The 66-year-old actress is known for her Oscar-nominated performances in movies like "Terms of Endearment," "An Officer and a Gentleman," and "Shadowlands."

From Fox News • Aug. 13, 2021

It’s not an aesthetically difficult film by any measure, yet my mother remembered Terms of Endearment as a challenge, even radical in what she perceived as a betrayal of the audience’s trust.

From Slate • May 4, 2021

A great deal of Endearment pass’d between them, and they became, from that moment, like two sworn Brothers, and he receiv’d the whole Relation from Henault, of his Amour.

From The Works of Aphra Behn Volume V by Summers, Montague