noun
-
something that endears, such as an affectionate utterance
-
the act or process of endearing or the condition of being endeared
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of endearment
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.
Vocabulary lists containing endearment
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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:
They teased me and called me Dogface, a term of endearment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Aidar had called the capybara “princess” in a way that sounded like a term of endearment for all female capybaras, so I asked for the capybara’s formal name.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
The word can apply to someone of any age, or any gender, as she and all the kids know; “babygirl” is now a slang term of endearment for a cute, appealing man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2025
Pop star, Charli XCX, declared Kamala Harris “brat,” a term of endearment for a woman who is “a little messy” but authentic and energetic.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
She felt a tug of endearment and coughed to cover it up.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Ah, Valentine’s Day … A day for cardiac-themed tokens, embossed endearments and sugary sweet love — or, in other words, conversation hearts.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
Is there anything real or concrete behind these whispered endearments, these blatant displays of affection, this slathered-on score?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2022
She called Jenkins by endearments and seemed eager to get to know him.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2022
They visit a Chalazian karaoke bar on a Thursday “Father/Daughter Nite,” where they read endearments off a screen, just as the other fathers and daughters in attendance do.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2021
We stood, said our hurried goodbyes, our whispered prayers and endearments.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
