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.
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
"I've never really thought of it as an insult, more a term of endearment," he says.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025
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
Their chemistry and understanding of Cuban culture hits different when they pronounce “Paramount+” like a Cuban uncle and it's always from a place of endearment instead of ridicule.
From Salon • Nov. 9, 2024
I’m told that he had many terms of endearment for me, but Main Man is the one I remember.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
