endearment

[en-deer-muh nt]

See more synonyms for endearment on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of endearing.
the state of being endeared.
something that endears; an action or utterance showing affection: to murmur endearments.

Origin of endearment

First recorded in 1605–15; endear + -ment

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for endearment

Contemporary Examples

Bae,” for example, is a term of endearment that is either short for “baby” or an acronym for “before anyone else.
Feminist, Bae, Turnt: Time’s ‘Worst Words’ List Is Sexist and Racist
Samantha Allen
November 13, 2014
(She addresses me in various terms of endearment, as one would an old friend, and invites me to swim in her pool after lunch).
Gail Sheehy Books Passage to the Past
Lizzie Crocker
September 3, 2014
“The thing that pops into my head is the Shirley MacLaine quote from Terms of Endearment,” said Emmerich.
‘The Americans’: Noah Emmerich on Playing Stan Beeman, ‘Jane Got a Gun,’ and More
Jason Lynch
May 1, 2013
Terms of Endearment got made because Polly Platt was so persistent.
Larry McMurtry: How I Write
Noah Charney
April 24, 2013
My mom remembers us actually watching Terms of Endearment with my father when he was sick.
Speak, Faulty Memory: Why Memoir Writing Is Harder Than You Think
Dave Bry
April 3, 2013

Historical Examples

The home name seemed to add a touch of endearment, and he used it advisedly.
The Nebuly Coat
John Meade Falkner
“Oh no,” said I, glad to be recognised under any term of endearment.
Tom, Dick and Harry
Talbot Baines Reed
I could not comprehend a term of endearment applied to such a place.
Deaconesses in Europe
Jane M. Bancroft
He replied by a mute and energetic pressure to the endearment of his friend.
The Man in the Iron Mask
Alexandre Dumas, Pere
He was irresistibly impelled to address her with words of endearment.
Sentimental Education, Volume II
Gustave Flaubert

British Dictionary definitions for endearment

endearment

noun

something that endears, such as an affectionate utterance
the act or process of endearing or the condition of being endeared

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

Word Origin and History for endearment

n.

"act of endearing," 1610s, from endear + -ment. Meaning "obligation of gratitude" is from 1620s; that of "action expressive of love" is from 1702.

endearment

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}endearment

Examples from the Web for endearment

Contemporary Examples

Bae,” for example, is a term of endearment that is either short for “baby” or an acronym for “before anyone else.

(She addresses me in various terms of endearment, as one would an old friend, and invites me to swim in her pool after lunch).

“The thing that pops into my head is the Shirley MacLaine quote from Terms of Endearment,” said Emmerich.

Terms of Endearment got made because Polly Platt was so persistent.

My mom remembers us actually watching Terms of Endearment with my father when he was sick.

Historical Examples

The home name seemed to add a touch of endearment, and he used it advisedly.

“Oh no,” said I, glad to be recognised under any term of endearment.

I could not comprehend a term of endearment applied to such a place.

He replied by a mute and energetic pressure to the endearment of his friend.

He was irresistibly impelled to address her with words of endearment.

endearment

Word Origin and History for endearment

n.

Origin of endearment