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.
See Examples For:
Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, best known for starring in the 2007 indie darling “Once” and winning an Oscar for “Falling Slowly,” the film’s original song along with co-star Markéta Irglová, has died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Michael Brush listed various factors that could support a continuing bull market for technology stocks, while adding a warning about one particular Big Tech darling.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Frozen puff pastry is something of a foodie darling, but deservedly so.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Noskova’s a new darling, and on the men’s side, it’s Sinner versus Pray for Carlos or who the heck knows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
She said she’d bought a really darling little iron that looked like it went with a doll house, but had forgotten to bring it.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
“This year, more Rioters are working together from our L.A. office than at any point since we returned in 2022,” said the company’s president, Darling, using the company’s nickname for Riot employees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Originally from Croydon, Burley revealed he found The Darling Buds of May easier to write than to cast, with the role of Mariette proving especially hard as "lots of young actresses just didn't excite us".
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
“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
Still, Goldman Sachs recently highlighted an “insensitive portfolio” of stocks with low sensitivity to AI, including names like Darling Ingredients and Kenvue.
From Barron's ● May 28, 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
Without a competitive moat, the darlings of today’s AI boom could be headed for a serious contraction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
It made me kill some of my darlings and really focus on what I want this sampler platter to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
However such a shift within the market may mean problems for current investor darlings.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
Fast-casual restaurant stocks were the growth darlings of the postpandemic dining boom, but the past year has been a reality check.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
Well, they were darlings and vipers, all of them.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
