darling

[ dahr-ling ]

/ ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

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See synonyms for darling on Thesaurus.com

noun

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 café society.

adjective

very dear; dearly loved: my darling child.

favorite; cherished.

Informal. charming; cute; lovable: What a darling baby!

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of darling

before 900; Middle English derling,Old English dēorling.See dear¹, -ling¹

OTHER WORDS FROM darling

dar·ling·ly, adverbdar·ling·ness, noun

Words nearby darling

darktown, dark web, darky, Darlan, Darlene, darling, Darling Downs, Darling Range, Darling River, Darlington, Darmstadt

Other definitions for darling (2 of 2)

Darling

[ dahr-ling ]

/ ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

noun

Jay Nor·wood

[nawr-wood], /ˈnɔr wʊd/, "Ding", 1876–1962, U.S. political cartoonist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use darling in a sentence

At the time, digital media darlings like BuzzFeed and Mic were building seemingly successful businesses by producing short-form videos to distribute on platforms like Facebook and YouTube and selling branded content deals to advertisers.
‘Two very, very different companies’: Why CNN’s Great Big Story failed to survive|Tim Peterson|November 2, 2020|Digiday
It would have counted as a noteworthy accomplishment in artificial intelligence alone, one of many that would make neural networks the darlings of AI technology over the next few years.
Deep Neural Networks Help to Explain Living Brains|Anil Ananthaswamy|October 28, 2020|Quanta Magazine
As we’ve seen, a risky firm with a compelling story can also become a darling of individual investors.
A SPAC for space tugs will go public in 2021|Tim Fernholz|October 8, 2020|Quartz
Some of the darlings as of late, including AAPL and TSLA, were down almost 10 percent.
Jittery investors eye today’s big jobs report as markets rebound from an epic sell-off|Bernhard Warner|September 4, 2020|Fortune

All of these developments, along with Musk’s cult-like following, have made Tesla a darling of retail investors, with it occupying almost a permanent place in online brokerage Robinhood’s list of most popular stocks.
Over the past three days, Tesla’s stock has dropped 18%|Verne Kopytoff|September 3, 2020|Fortune
The former Czech leader, once a global darling of libertarians, is losing friends fast.
Vaclav Klaus, Libertarian Hero, Has His Wings Clipped by Cato Institute|James Kirchick|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kerry Washington - Scandal Is there room for only one Shonda Rhimes darling in Best Actress in a Drama?
15 Enraging Golden Globe TV Snubs and Surprises: Amy Poehler, 'Mad Men' & More|Kevin Fallon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take Joni Ernst, a GOP darling now favored to be the next senator from Iowa.
If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday|Jonathan Alter|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I'm going to use it to stop all arguments in the future, about anything: "Can't make dinner tonight, darling, children might die."
Bill Maher Finds the Worst Congressman in America|Ana Marie Cox|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Darling makes it very clear that this is not just a show about a pop star, no matter how much buzz his name generates.
The Making—and Remaking—of David Bowie|Justin Jones|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ill should I repay the family who fostered my son, were I to surrender their darling into the hands of his enemies.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
A germ flies from a stagnant pool, and the laughing child, its mother's darling, dies dreadfully of diphtheria.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Said to be aristocratically connected, he was the admiration of all and the darling of the young ladies of Derby.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
“You would kill the darling in five minutes,” interrupted Miss Anne.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
If such a darling thing should happen as my winning the prize, Id put it all in the bank for a nest-egg, she thought.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison

British Dictionary definitions for darling (1 of 2)

darling

/ (ˈdɑːlɪŋ) /

noun

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

a favouritethe teacher's darling

adjective (prenominal)

beloved

much admired; pleasinga darling hat

Word Origin for darling

Old English dēorling; see dear, -ling 1

British Dictionary definitions for darling (2 of 2)

Darling

/ (ˈdɑːlɪŋ) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

darling

Origin of darling

OTHER WORDS FROM darling

Words nearby darling

Other definitions for darling (2 of 2)

Words related to darling

How to use darling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for darling (1 of 2)

Word Origin for darling

British Dictionary definitions for darling (2 of 2)