darling
1 Americannoun
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a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.
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a person or thing in great favor; a favorite.
She was the darling of caf é society.
adjective
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very dear; dearly loved.
my darling child.
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favorite; cherished.
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Informal. charming; cute; lovable.
What a darling baby!
noun
noun
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a person very much loved: often used as a term of address
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a favourite
the teacher's darling
adjective
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beloved
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much admired; pleasing
a darling hat
noun
Other Word Forms
- darlingly adverb
- darlingness noun
Etymology
Origin of darling
before 900; Middle English derling, Old English dēorling. See dear 1, -ling 1
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.
He addressed her as “darling,” and later, “sweet pet,” and “sugar plum”; he thought her “loveable.”
From Literature
That marks a reversal for the industry, which became a Wall Street darling thanks to pricey subscriptions, minimal capital expenditures and strong profit margins.
But among the market’s priciest names today are not just artificial-intelligence darlings but also discount retailers and shampoo makers — a sign that even defensive trades may be now getting expensive.
From MarketWatch
Deere and McDonald’s have become darlings to investors worried about broad AI disruption.
Gu arrived at the Games targeting a clean sweep of golds in her three events after winning two golds and a silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where she was the host nation's darling.
From Barron's
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.
