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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

He added: "Our darling boy Declan was a funny and outgoing young man who loved his fishing and his football. He had a very cheeky smile and the personality to match."

From BBC • May 25, 2026

While OpenAI was the boom’s first darling, the corporate chaos exposed by the courtroom drama with Musk only reinforces why it is losing steam.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

The strong demand Cisco has seen for its hardware as hyperscalers keep spending big could be a positive sign for the AI chip darling.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Although his claim to fame was contributing to numerous comedy projects across decades, it was the 1999 documentary “Beyond the Mat,” a behind-the-scenes chronicle of three famous pro wrestlers, that was Blaustein’s darling.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

A singer on a bandstand in the center of the hallway crooned, “Take my hand, oh, my darling, take my hand and dance with me...”

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat