darling

¹

[dahr-ling]

noun

1. a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter),  an affectionate or familiar term of address.

3. a person or thing in great favor; a favorite.

   She was the darling of caf é society.

adjective

1. very dear; dearly loved.

   my darling child.

2. favorite; cherished.

3. Informal.,  charming; cute; lovable.

   What a darling baby!

Darling

²

[dahr-ling]

noun

1. Jay Norwood Ding, 1876–1962, U.S. political cartoonist.

darling

¹

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. a person very much loved: often used as a term of address

2. a favourite

   the teacher's darling

adjective

1. beloved

2. much admired; pleasing

   a darling hat

Darling

²

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Grace. 1815–42, English national heroine, famous for her rescue (1838) of some shipwrecked sailors with her father, a lighthouse keeper

Other Word Forms

• darlingly adverb
• darlingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of darling¹

before 900; Middle English derling, Old English dēorling. See dear ¹, -ling ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of darling¹

Old English dēorling; see _dear , _-ling ¹

Example Sentences

Benioff, a one-time darling of the left, has shifted right in recent years, along with other tech titans.

Read more on Barron's

Sparkz is making lithium-iron batteries that don’t use nickel and cobalt — a composition that has long been an industry darling but that depends on imported metals.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Shares of the El Segundo maker of plant-based meats, an investors’ darling a few year ago, collapsed this week to less than $1 after the company wrapped up a deal to reduce its debt burden.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, home prices fared worst in Sun Belt areas that were pandemic-era darlings.

Read more on MarketWatch

Other media and sports betting sites tweeting about the Bruins’ turnaround from 0-4 to darlings of the college football world prominently featured pictures of the blond-haired assistant coach.

Read more on Los Angeles Times