endearment

American  

[en-deer-muhnt] / ɛnˈdɪər mənt /

noun

1. the act of endearing.

2. the state of being endeared.

3. something that endears; an action or utterance showing affection.

   to murmur endearments.

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endearment British  

/ ɪnˈdɪəmənt /

noun

1. something that endears, such as an affectionate utterance

2. the act or process of endearing or the condition of being endeared

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Etymology

Origin of endearment

First recorded in 1605–15; endear + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

"I've never really thought of it as an insult, more a term of endearment," he says.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

“He’ll look at you quizzically, but also with endearment, knowing you are a little carbon-based unit that would like to become his friend,” said David Kornblum, president of Tsuburaya Fields Media and Pictures Entertainment.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

“Oma’s house is still there,” she said, using a term of endearment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2025

It could be a term of endearment, people saying that they love you for your Blackness, or it could be an insult and an attack.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2024

Baba hardly ever used the term of endearment jan when he addressed me.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini